September 22, 2006

We all need global communications to be a pure global commodity

Sir, Stephen Littlechild tells us that “Brussels has got it wrong on roaming charges” (September 22) and that “regulation undermines market discipline and incentives” which coming form a former UK electricity regulator could seem as a sign of very little solidarity with his brothers in arms but this is not so since until the fuel-cells arrive and free us from the need of the electricity lines the electricity sector is fundamentally different from the mobile telephone sector that has already been freed from the telephone lines. That said neither is Littlechild’s statement as pro free-market as it seem since there is currently no reason for not allowing free open global competition in the mobile phone sector. Having a good number of satellites flying around up there offering to connect us with anyone anywhere and turning communications into a pure commodity that is really what we the consumers are all waiting for, in Europe and everywhere.