Belgacom wins broadband appeal

Belgacom does not have to open up its broadband network to competitors, according to a ruling by an appeal court.

Belgacom had contested a decision made by the Belgian telecom regulator BIPT in January 2008 ordering it to open its VDSL network to other operators at a competitive price after claiming the Belgian cable operator was too dominant.

Belgacom argued that Telenet was dominant in the Dutch-speaking region of Flanders, which the appeal court agreed with. A spokesperson said: “The Court is of the opinion that the analysis made of the broadband market was erroneous, as insufficient consideration was given to the intense competition on this market.”