27 Amendments of Sabine VERHEYEN related to 2010/2304(INI)
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes that the Commission is aiming to combat the digital divide and provide broadband for all, since this is a service of vital importance for the development of the most sparsely populated areas; calls on the Commission to urge the Member States, in pursuance of the objectives of the Digital Agenda and once widespread broadband coverage has been achieved in Europe, to provide rural areas too with adequate fast and ultra-fast networks; with this in mind, the roll-out of FTTB and FTTH should be intensified so as to avoid the creation of uneconomic transitional solutions;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Points to the need to employ European, national and regional means of obtaining public financial support for broadband in areas where commercial investment is unlikely to occur; notes, however, that the cost in administrative and planning terms of implementing EU subsidy programmes, particularly for SMEs and for local and regional authorities, is considerable, and that a legal uncertainty exists in practice which often inhibits planned investments; calls therefore on the Commission to examine to what extent the subsidy rules can be simplified and rendered more attractive to investors, and how better coordination can be achieved between European and national programmes;
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Considers that full tailor-made broadband coverage at affordable prices must be made a universal service, as it is essential to helping create equal living conditions in Europe;
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Maintains that first-rate content must constitute a priority for the emerging broadband networks and must help to promote access to, and the sharing of, cultural goods and services, open up spaces for creativity and expression, and foster exchanges between creative people;Does not affect English text.
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Notes the linkage between the deployment of mobile broadband networks and frequency policy, and stresses that European frequency policy must take account in equal measure of the economic, social and cultural value of radio frequencies; emphasises, furthermore, the need for effective use of the existing frequencies and calls for technology neutrality;
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recommends that Member States favour a policy making for the widest possible access to content, the priority being to connect public serviceestablishments, especially schools, libraries and universities, to broadband networks so as to encourage knowledge-sharing and promote cultural and linguistic diversity; notes, furthermore, that education and culture are not factors separated from the economy as a whole, and stresses the considerable added value created by this sector;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Reaffirms the principle of network neutrality, and takes the view that open, equal access to telecommunications infrastructure and information technology is vital to ensure social, economic and cultural progress;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes that State aid for broadband, that is to say, the use of EU funding expressly for that purpose, is an appropriate option when broadband development cannot be shown to be economically worthwhile; given that the cost in administrative and planning terms of implementing national and European broadband support programmes is considerable;, calls, therefore, on the Commission and the Member States to simplify conditions for support as well as procedures as far as possible, in order to step up the flow of funds and, help accelerate broadband roll-out;
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Notes that the Digital Agenda broadband targets will only be achieved with broadband as a part of Universal Services and encourages the Commission to review the scope of universal services in this respect;
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Suggests that the Member States be urged to implement public policies be implemented to support the introduction of new technologies and ease the transition to a digital education service; calls on the Commission to encourage exchanges of best practice between Member States.
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Calls on the Commission to apply more investment incentivised elements within the regulatory framework and provide stimulus to use synergies from infrastructure projects;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Considers that the objective must be to establish EU global leadership in ICT infrastructure by 2013 by delivering 100 %, as a first step, 100 % basic broadband coverage, giving at least 2Mbps service to users in rural areas and 24Mbps in core cities; draws the Commission’s attention to the fact that, in order to counter the emergence of a digital divide, the definition of basic coverage in rural areas will need to be revised in future to take account of the new requirements created by the steadily increasing transmission rates for innovative Internet services, such as eGovernment, eHealth or eLearning;
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that European law on aid, as it currently stands, frequently leads in practice to legal uncertainty, hampering planned investment; calls, therefore, on the Commission to examine to what extent the rules could be simplified and made more investment-friendly and departures should be permitted from standard broadband support measures; considers that the broadband guidelines should, in addition, serve to clarify the application of the law on aid for the purposes of setting up public broadband companies or of cooperation between municipalities or PPP models;
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Supports rapid expansion of broadband infrastructure and calls on the Member States to give effect without delay to the NGA recommendation aimed at improving legal certainty, investment, and competition; considers that regulators must ensure that all market players at any one time have sufficient incentives to enter into competition and invest;
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Points out that the definition of basic provision will have to be adjusted in future in line with changed requirements resulting from the ever increasing transmission rates being recorded by innovative Internet services such as eGovernment, eHealth, or eLearning; calls, therefore, on the Commission, in view of the likely failure of the market to supply rural areas with NGA networks, to incorporate new organisational models, providing in particular for the involvement of local authorities, for the provision and financing of high-speed and ultra-high-speed networks as an option into the broadband guidelines;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Highlights the need to make best use of complementary technologies to achieve broadband coverage in rural areas without undue burdens on consumers or the industryeconomically sustainable broadband coverage at affordable prices in rural areas; points out that, even at the current level of basic coverage, the use of the ‘digital dividend’ will not solve the problem of gaps in NGA networks in rural areas in the long term; believes, therefore, that it would be appropriate to give priority to the development of glass fibre- based broadband wherever it represents the most economic and sustainable solution in the long term;
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Points to the goal of establishing a predictable regulatory environment for investment and competition to promote investment in high-speed networks and technically and economically sound non- discriminatory access and cooperation opportunities;
Amendment 51 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Considers that, even at the current level of basic provision, the use of ‘digital dividend’ frequencies based on LTE technology will not solve the problem of gaps in NGA networks in rural areas in the long term; believes, therefore, that it would be appropriate to enable funding to be provided for ducts for NGA networks in these areas, giving priority to fibre optic- based broadband development, where this would be the most economical and sustainable solution in the long term.
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Maintains that satellite-based systems and other complementary technologies must be used to the best possible effect so as to enable rural areas to benefit from economically sustainable broadband provision at affordable prices.
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Notes that access to low radiothe 790-862 MHz frequency bands, with theirhose propagation characteristics supporting wide-area coverage, is crucial to facilitating wireless rural broadband coverage allowing access to all foreseeable Internet services;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Recommends facilitating the timely useprompt exploitation of the ‘Digital Dividend’ for new mobile broadband services through a harmonised and technology-neutral pan- EU approach, giving economies of scale and avoiding detrimental cross-border interference issues, while not interfering with existing Digital TV/HDTV reception;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Emphasises that broadband services are key to the competitiveness of EU industry and greatly contribute to EU economic growth and employment and to the participation of all regions and social groups in digital life in the EU;
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Considers that high capacity broadband networks and fibre in the access networks (FTTH) are desirable objectivessential from the perspective of both end-users and economic developmenttheir future needs and economic development, given the ever more extensive use of broadband applications;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Notes that the broadband state aid framework and targeted use of Community funds may be the most progressive complementary means of accelerating broadband roll-out; however, this requires a stable, consistent and investment- friendly EU regulatory framework, the simplification of state aid rules and the flexible allocation of EU funds within the respective programming periods;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Recognises that regulatory certainty is needed to promote investment and address barriers to investment in fast and ultra-fast networks; recognises, in this respect, the NGA recommendation with respect to wired access; calls on the Commission to apply more investment incentivised elements within the regulatory framework and provide stimulus to use synergies from infrastructure projects;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Continues to encourage appropriate public-sector investment and organisational models, in particular involving local authorities, public-private partnerships and tax incentive schemes for the roll-out of fast and ultra-fast networks; stresses the importance of government policies being coordinated at all levels;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to agree on an EU Broadband Deployment Pact, using equity funds, Structural Funds, the Cohesion Fund, regional funds and state with a view to coordinating national and European funding programmes and private investment as appropriatemore effectively, targeting whiterural areas in particular, and ensuring the necessary coordination with consistent output indicators on an EU-wide scale;