Lawful collaboration by Orange Communications SA with Swisscom within a «national roaming» framework
Berne, 08.10.1999 - The national roaming agreement between Orange Communications and Swisscom does not contravene the provisions of telecommunications law. This is the conclusion reached by the Federal Communications Commission (ComCom). It thus brings to an end the supervision procedure initiated against Swisscom and Orange.
Since launching its services on 29 June 1999, Orange Communications has made up for the currently partial coverage of its network by means of a national roaming agreement with Swisscom. National roaming allows Orange to cover 90% of the population. With this roaming agreement, the conditions were created to allow Orange customers to use the Swisscom network without actually being Swisscom customers - for the time being and when they are in a location which is not yet covered by the Orange network. Swisscom then bills its services not to the customer who has taken advantage of roaming but to Orange.
For ComCom, collaboration between two mobile telephony operators in the form of national roaming does not obstruct competition at the level of the infrastructure and services desired by the legislature. The mobile telephony operators’ licences contain precise indications on the dates by which the network must be expanded and on network coverage obligations as a function of population and territory. Orange Communications is fulfilling the conditions laid down in the licence as far as the construction of its own network is concerned. The principle of three independent networks remains intact. National roaming is merely a temporary solution. As the regulating authority, ComCom was aware of Orange’s intentions at the time it granted the licence.
Address for enquiries
Gian Andri Vital, ComCom vice-president, tel. 031/323 52 90
Publisher
Federal Communications Commission ComCom
http://www.comcom.admin.ch/
