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Local loop meaning
What does Local loop mean?
The local loop is the “last mile” physical line linking an end-user’s network termination point at their premises to the operator’s main distribution frame or equivalent facility in a fixed public electronic communications network. It is usually a copper pair or fibre strand and carries voice and broadband services.
In EU telecoms law it was expressly defined in Article 2(e) of the access Directive; that understanding continues to inform regulation under the European Electronic Communications Code and Irish implementing measures. In the UK, although EU directives no longer apply, the term is used consistently in Ofcom regulation and wholesale access products, including local loop unbundling (LLU) and sub‑loop unbundling (SLU).
Key legal features and uses:
- The facility to which access obligations on operators with significant market power may attach (unbundled access, non‑discrimination, cost‑oriented pricing and co‑location).
- A common subject of reference offers and access disputes.
- Defines the demarcation of maintenance responsibility at the network termination point.
- Central to infrastructure sharing, migration from copper to fibre, and remedies promoting competition in fixed access markets.
Usage and meaning are broadly consistent across England & Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland.
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View the related Practice Notes about Local loop
PRACTICE NOTES
EU Article 102 TFEU decision: margin squeeze and refusal to supply in Slovak broadband - Commission fines Slovak Telekom/Deutsche Telekom €69.9m (COMP/39.523); appeals to the General Court
CASE HUB (NOTE–appeals lodged) ARCHIVED –this archived case hub reflects the position at the date of the decision of 15 October 2014; it is no longer maintained. See further, timeline, commentary and related cases. Case facts Outline European Commission proceedings under Article 102 TFEU examined suspected abuse of a dominant position in Slovakia’s broadband market. On 15/10/2014, the Commission adopted an infringement decision and levied total fines of €69.9m. The unlawful conduct comprised a refusal to supply and the implementation of a margin squeeze. Latest developments On 15 October 2014, the Commission delivered its infringement decision. It imposed a €38,838,000 fine on Slovak Telekom and Deutsche Telekom for infringing Article 102 TFEU. Deutsche Telekom is jointly liable for this amount owing to its decisive influence over its subsidiary, Slovak Telekom. In addition, the Commission levied a further €31,070,000 penalty on Deutsche Telekom. This reflects: a 50% uplift to account for repeated abusive behaviour (recidivism) by Deutsche Telekom, following the 2003 fine imposed...
21 May
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PRACTICE NOTES
UK fixed-line telecoms: networks, interconnection, local loop unbundling, broadband, wholesale access, NGNs, cloud and SDN—an at-a-glance guide for commercial lawyers
This Practice Note provides a concise, at-a-glance overview of the fixed line telecoms industry for commercial lawyers. Fixed lines Section 32(1) of the Communications Act 2003 defines an ‘electronic communications network’ as: a transmission system conveying signals of any description by electrical, magnetic or electro-magnetic energy; and associated items used by the provider, in association with that system, for the conveyance of the signals, comprising: apparatus forming part of the system; apparatus for switching or routing the signals; software and stored data; and other resources (except for the purposes of sections 125 to 127), including network elements that are not active. For fixed lines, this encompasses electrical energy in standard conducting cables or wires; electro-magnetic energy within coaxial cables, which can be treated as a kind of waveguide; or light photons for the laser light employed in fibre optics cables. The most common form of telecoms cable...
22 May
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PRACTICE NOTES
CMA phase 2 merger review: BT's acquisition of EE – UK telecoms vertical and horizontal effects assessed; unconditional clearance; no substantial lessening of competition (2016)
CASE HUB ARCHIVED – this archived case hub reflects the position at the date of the decision of 15 January 2016; it is no longer maintained. See further, timeline, commentary and related cases. Case facts Outline UK merger inquiry into BT Group plc’s proposed acquisition of EE Limited. The deal features horizontal overlaps and other non-horizontal matters within the telecommunications industry. Latest developments On 15 January 2016, the CMA cleared the merger without conditions, endorsing its provisional conclusions. Parties BT Group plc (BT). BT is a UK-based business and the largest provider of fixed communications services nationwide. It also operates as a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO). BT supplies numerous fixed services to other communications providers, including mobile backhaul for mobile operators (such as EE, O2, Three and Vodafone), linking radio masts to their core networks. BT also delivers wholesale broadband to communications providers (including EE). BT’s Openreach unit, regulated by Ofcom, is the local access network (the ‘first mile’) connecting customers to...
21 May
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