EU exec ends broadband case against Germany

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM: The European Commission has closed a case against Germany after Berlin agreed not to give legal protection to Deutsche Telekom from competitors in the broadband market, the Commission said on Thursday.

German consumers would have a greater choice and more competitive prices for broadband Internet access as a result, the EU executive said in a statement.

Germany had originally planned legislation that would have made it difficult for other telecom operators to compete in broadband against Deutsche Telekom, the statement said.

The Commission said it had also ended a case against Germany over restrictions on technology allowed to use the 2.6 GHz radio frequency band, after Berlin opened the frequencies not only to mobile but also fixed wireless services.