By Alessandro Mauro
To submit comments and updates: alessandro.mauro@telecomitalia.it
In 2014 CTU, the Czech NRA, declared O2 CZ as incumbent Operator on Markets 4 and 5 of the previous EU Relevant Markets List. O2 completed a feasibility analysis about the hypotesis of a network separation. In 2015 it announced the Board’s decision (subject to shareholders’ approval) to structurally separate its business, by setting up a new company, Ceská telekomunikacní infrastruktura (CETIN), which will provide wholesale services to O2 and to OLOs on a non-discriminatory basis. O2 is looking for more retail pricing flexibility to better compete with alternative operators.
According to the EU regulatory framework, in case of voluntary separation the NRA is obliged to conduct a market analyses. In particular, CTU has to start a new review of all relevant markets once the separated company CETIN starts operations.