Swisscom has revealed that the Swiss Competition Commission (COMCO) has opened an investigation into Swisscom’s optical fibre network in Switzerland and ordered precautionary measures.
Swisscom is in the process of expanding its fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network and aims to double the number of connections to 3 million by 2025.
The company is also engaged in competition with alternative providers, such as electricity companies and cable network operators, in the construction and operation of long-range and broadband fixed-network connections.
Swisscom will defend itself against the allegations levelled by COMCO and file an objection against the precautionary measures.
Swisscom offers all its competitors broad access to its networks on a non-discriminatory basis on terms that are regulated or commercially agreed.
Swisscom is expanding its network and invests around CHF 1.6 billion annually in the expansion and maintenance of these networks. Competitors benefit from this in by reducing their own investments and thus saving costs.
Swisscom primarily relies on point-to-multipoint architecture (from the manhole), enabling competition with wide-ranging offerings. This is the most suitable architecture for driving optical fibre expansion throughout Switzerland, as it builds optimally on the existing network.
The reuse of the feeder cabling allows faster and more cost-efficient FTTH expansion in Switzerland. This way, Swisscom is meeting the growing demand for broadband in the course of advancing digitisation of the economy and society. End-users and wholesale customers stand to benefit from this by purchasing wholesale upstream products.
Swisscom fails to understand the allegations made by COMCO, will analyse them in detail and decide on the further course of action.
Swisscom offers providers that do not have a network of their own a multitude of network access options with different bandwidths. The offerings have been on the market for many years, are continuously developed, and meet with a high level of acceptance among wholesale customers. Providers without their own network always have access to the maximum bandwidth available. In addition, wherever possible, Swisscom strives to expand the network in cooperation with partners, as in the past.
Swisscom aims to double its FTTH coverage by the end of 2025: 50-60 percent of all homes and offices will be able to use a bandwidth up to 10 Gbps by then. Besides, modernisation of the existing FTTS (fibre-to-the-street) network is continuing. As a result, by the end of 2025 an additional 30–40 percent of homes and offices will have bandwidths of 300–500 Mbps.
