ComCom extends universal service licence for Swisscom
The Federal Communications Commission ComCom has extended Swisscom's existing universal service license for a further year without any changes. The extension is being made because the Ordinance on the Universal Service is currently being revised.
The Federal Council wants to redefine the scope of the universal service with telecommunications services from 2024, according to a statement on Thursday. The Federal Council opened a public consultation for the revision of the current ordinance in December 2021. Among other things, it proposed to increase the internet speed in the universal service to 80 megabits download and 8 megabits upload per second (Mbit/s). This is eight times as much as has been stipulated to date.
Swisscom has held the current universal service licence since 2018 and it expires at the end of 2022. As the revision of the ordinance has not yet been completed, according to ComCom there is no solid legal basis for a new award of the universal service license. In order to ensure the universal service at all times, it was decided to extend it until the end of 2023.
The new universal service license from 2024 will only be awarded once the Federal Council has decided on the content of the universal service and there is therefore legal certainty, the statement continues. Currently, the universal service includes various services for people with disabilities, Internet access with 10 Mbit/s download and 1 Mbit/s download, a telephone service with one or three numbers, and two free directory listings. (SDA)
