In October 2009, WIK-Consult finished a study for the European Parliament on "Next Generation Networks (NGN)". The report had been commissioned by the Committee for Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE). The study deals with the migration of the core network and in particular with the migration of the access network (Next Generation Access, NGA). Essential topics, which are addressed, are: (1) European regulation for electronic communication services and its relevance for NGN/NGA; (2) specific changes and challenges for competition policy and regulation resulting from the migration to NGN/NGA; (3) concrete NGN/NGA roll-out activities in selected countries and observable regulatory measures and instruments; (4) relevance and different types of separation in an NGN/NGA environment and (5) recent European policy initiatives aiming to further the development of NGN/NGA.
Altogether 9 recommendations have been given: (1) Formal adoption of the pending review package; (2) greater use of sub-national markets and/or sub-nationally differentiated remedies against the backdrop of regionally differentiated roll-out plans; (3) balanced refinement and timely adoption of the draft recommendation on NGA; (4) development of a solid understanding of the social benefits of a migration to NGA; (5) evaluation of costs and benefits associated with the migration to NGA; (6) initiation of a political discussion establishing concrete goals regarding NGA and means of achieving them; (7) intensive analysis or realization of "bill and keep" interconnection arrangements; (8) monitoring of the migration to IP-based voice interconnection and (9) provision of more high quality spectrum available for fixed and mobile wireless broadband access.
The report can be downloaded from the website of the European Parliament.