March 8, 2016

BEREC’s Report was adopted during its first Plenary meeting of 2016 in Rotterdam on 25 to 26 February 2016.  The Report follows a public consultation in late 2015, and will serve as BEREC inputs into the European Commission’s review of the regulatory framework for electronic communications (in addition to BEREC’s opinion on the review, published in December 2015).

The Report recognises that technological developments, especially the transition to IP technology enabling a growing range of services to be consumed online, has resulted in the emergence of new services and business models operating over the internet.

The Report states that the provision of internet-based services commonly known as “over-the-top” (OTT) is of increasing importance in the rapidly evolving information and communication industry, and is of great value for consumers and businesses.

BEREC acknowledges that the availability of OTT services is also driving change in competition dynamics of communications markets.

The Report focuses on the relation between OTT services and electronic communication services.  To access the Report, click here.