Agcom today published the data for the second quarter of 2014, which show that fixed telephone lines fell below 21 million for the first time and sim cards decreased by 2,2 million compared to the same period last year, to 95,4 million. “Objectively things are not going very well – said Cardani -, even if there are interesting signs. But the trends are decreasing and this causes concern for operators and also for us”.
In the last year, according to the slides released by the Authority on the occasion of the CambiarexCambiare conference organized by Between, the drop in accesses to fixed telephony was equal to 560 lines, an acceleration compared to the previous 12 months (-460). In the last two years, Telecom Italia has lost around one and a half million lines, while alternative operators have gained 450. Mobile broadband is confirmed to be healthy, with 40 million sims with data traffic and with the now irreversible collapse of text messages (-42% in one year).
On the regulatory level, "there are rules that apply for telephone operators and not for all the others, such as Over the top (Facebook, Google, Amazon, etc ...) - said the president of Agcom, Angelo Marcello Cardani - Let's start sitting around the table, make a list of the problems but if possible we try to look ahead, the operators have more ability than us to look ahead".
Of the requests that the operators will raise "we will be bearers at the level of Berec (the body that brings together the various national communications authorities, ed), then - continued Cardani - we will see if the EU Commission realizes what regulatory framework must be also on the move”. We, added the President, "are the main allies of companies".
Cardani recalled that on the subject of common rules for operators and Over the top, regulation at the Community level is needed, which will then be translated into national legislation and therefore into Agcom regulations.
