A few days ago, the Government presented the new General Telecommunications Law Project, which in addition to regulating portability and reinforcing the rights of users, also updates the universal telecommunications service removing the booths from him, something that had already been requested on numerous occasions by both the CNMC and Telefónica.
This service, which in 2016 cost Telefónica almost 17 million euros and almost 15 million in 2018, has not been redefined for years, but, as the Draft Bill advanced, it will soon also include the bandwidth necessary to support a certain minimum set of services. Let’s see what is universal service today? and what changes are expected in it.
Goodbye cabins and guides, hello online services
The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation defines the term “universal service” as: set of basic electronic communications services whose provision is guaranteed to all users who request it, with a specified quality and at an affordable price.
And in that category, the following services are included according to the General Telecommunications Law:
Supply of the connection to the public network of electronic communications from a fixed location with broadband capacity at 1 Mbps.
Provision of the Telephone service available to the public from a fixed location.
Provision of the payment telephony service with coins or cards through the terminals located on public roads (phone booths).
Preparation and delivery of the number guide subscriber. As of January 1, 2019, they are not part of the universal service.
Service telephone consultation subscriber numbers envelope.
Specific measures for users with disabilities.
The current General Telecommunications Law establishes that the universal service is financed by the operators of telecommunications with annual income exceeding 100 million euros, so that the CNMC determines the contributions that correspond to each one.
Until January 1, 2023, the operator designated to guarantee the supply of the connection to the fixed network with broadband capacity at 1 Mbps and the telephone service available to the public from a fixed location, until January 1, 2023, is Telefónica, which operates under the commercial name of Movistar. In the case of cabins, it is also Telefónica, but only until January 1, 2022.
As there are many offers available in the market, there is no designated operator for the telephone consultation service on subscriber numbers, nor for the preparation and delivery of the subscriber number directory.
The Bill presented by the Government redefines the term “universal service” As the defined set of services whose provision is guaranteed for all consumers regardless of their geographical location, with a specific quality and at an affordable price.
In addition to permanently eliminating the phone booths and directories from the list, it adds as the main novelty a necessary bandwidth to support the following minimum set of services:
Email.
Search engines that allow the search and obtaining of information of all kinds.
Basic tools of online education and training.
Press or news online.
Acquisition or commission of goods or services online.
Job search and job search tools.
Establishment of professional networks.
Internet banking.
Use of services electronic administration.
Social networks and instant messaging.
Phone calls or video calls (Standard Quality).
That is, although the Bill does not define the minimum speed of broadband connection included in the universal service, it is planned to increase it significantly to guarantee the possibility of carrying out this minimum set of online services.