FTTH Council Europe welcomes EC fibre guidelines

Industry body the FTTH Council Europe has welcomed new guidelines set by the European Commission on state aid rules for the public funding of broadband networks.

“That the Commission felt it was necessary to publish the guidelines and the emphasis it places on fibre networks not only reaffirms how important it is that Europe moves quickly to a fibre-to-the-home solution, but also indicates that public finance will have a significant part to play in achieving that objective,” Karel Helsen, president of the FTTH Council Europe said.

The Council said that while market forces should deliver mass-market FTTH services, it recognises that some regions will not support commercial rollouts without some form of public intervention. “Local governments and municipalities will have an important role to play in moving Europe towards a fibre future. The publication of the state aid guidelines is therefore a welcome and necessary clarification of the rules surrounding public finance,” the Council said in a statement.