The European Commission has suspended plans of the Spanish telecoms regulator (CMT) to postpone until January 2014 the introduction of cheaper mobile termination rates (MTRs), the rates mobile networks charge other networks for delivering voice calls. The delay could result in one more year of unnecessarily high mobile consumer prices in Spain.

The plans of the Spanish telecoms regulator (CMT) to postpone by a year the introduction of cheaper mobile termination rates (MTRs), have been suspended by the European Commission. According to the timetable outlined in the Commission's 2009, cost-oriented mobile termination rates should be applied across the EU by 31 December 2012. These MTRs -the rates mobile networks charge other networks for delivering voice calls, should be set at a level equivalent to what it costs an efficient operator to terminate calls on his network. However, CMT has proposed to extend the transitional period for implementation by an additional year in order to protect the interests of the mobile industry in Spain.

The CMT's argument used to ask for a delay is that a significant reduction of prices by December 2012 would have too negative an impact on the mobile industry in Spain. In the Commission's view the Spanish regulator has not shown that an extension to this deadline would be justified, in particular as the industry had since 2009 to adapt to the new MTR approach.

Neelie Kroes, European Commission Vice President underlined that Spanish consumers should not have to pay over the odds for mobile calls, especially when domestic finances are so tight. Industry has already had 3 years to adapt and a further delay of one year is unjustifiable. CMT now has three months to work with the Commission and the body of European telecoms regulators (BEREC) on a solution to this case.