The Telecommunications Act - Practical Problems of Interconnection

As could be expected, one of the most discussed issues of the liberalisation of the German telecommunications market is that of the interconnection of various networks.

According to the Telecommunications Act the term interconnection is a legal term. It means the network access establishing the physical and logical connection of telecommunications networks to allow users connected to different telecommunications networks to communicate directly or indirectly (§ 3 Nr. 24 TKG). Each operator of a telecommunications network which serves to provide telecommunications services for the general public is under an obligation to enter into negotiations about interconnecting its network with that of an other operator at the request of such operator (§ 36 TKG). If both operators fail to reach an interconnection agreement, each of them may appeal to the Regulatory Authority for Telecommunications and Post (RegTP). The RegTP can order interconnection after hearing the parties and after a