(Ledbury, UK, 7th Jan) The roll-out of super-fast fibre broadband networks across Europe risks leaving millions of customers unsatisfied, argues consultancy BWCS.

“Europe is lagging behind Asia in the race to roll out fibre broadband,” argues Graham Wilde CEO of BWCS, “and there is a strong case to argue that the current way in which super-fast fibre networks are regulated in Europe is leading to slower roll-out and lower take-up than in other major markets .This means that regulators must step in and flex their muscles while there is still time.”

“Whilst some countries – notably in Eastern Europe and Scandinavia – are performing well in the fibre broadband stakes, many of Europe’s largest economies are lagging," Wilde points out. "The impact on our national and regional competitive advantage could be substantial, and it’s time to debate whether we can go on regulating fibre in roughly the same way that we dealt with legacy copper networks.”

Later this year, BWCS will host a major new conference on Regulating Next Generation Access. The Conference will bring together law-makers and operators from all over the world and will be the first to concentrate exclusively on the issues facing operators and regulators in the vital roll-out of super/ultra, high-speed broadband to homes and businesses.

The head of the French Superfast Broadband Task Force, Antoine Darodes, is the latest high profile speaker to join the conference which will feature views from regulators, incumbents, large OAOs, small/micro OAOs, cable operators, mobile operators and technology providers.

Regulating Next Generation Access 2014 will be held in London on the 19th and 20th March, please see www.nextgenaccess2014.com or contact [email protected] for more details.