EU Denies Blocking U.S. Mobile Phone Suppliers
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission rejected complaints on Tuesday that it was trying to exclude U.S.
suppliers from Europe's mobile phone market, saying it only wanted to ensure consumers could use their equipment across
Europe.
''We say we want compatible solutions, not necessarily the same system all over Europe,'' said Jochen Kubosch, spokesman
for Telecommunications Commissioner Martin Bangemann.
U.S. Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky said in Brussels on Monday she was concerned that the European Union was
pushing ''exclusionary'' technical standards in the race to develop the next generation of mobile communications technology.
The EU, keen to see its manufacturers stay in the lead, has been promoting efforts to develop a common European standard
that could also be considered as a world standard.
The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) has backed a technology developed by European firms including
Nordic manufacturers Nokia and Ericsson.
''ETSI is completely independent and industry-led,'' Kubosch said, adding that ETSI's membership included some U.S.
companies that actively supported its standard.
He said the EU has drafted legislation that aims to ensure that the 15 EU countries license mobile systems that allow for
''roaming'' -- the ability to use phones when moving across national borders. But he said it was not ''exclusive''.
However, U.S. high-technology Qualcomm Inc (QCOM - news), has complained that the ETSI standard is incompatible with
a competing standard that it supports -- and has refused to license key technologies needed to get it off the ground.
Qualcomm has expressed concern about language in the EU legislation, which aims to coordinate the introduction of the new
mobile systems across Europe, that is says favor ETSI standards.
|
