The Spanish government’s telecommunications department is now planning to finalise its liberalisation of products and services by the end of 1991 after the initial Law of Telecommunications Ordination brought fewer positive developments in its first year of operation than expected or intended. The Law was passed on January 12, 1988 with hopes that it would lead to a general code for things like radio technology and its use in value-added services such as bleepers and mobile radio communications, as well as to partial liberalisation of the sale of modems and PABXs. The general code, however, was drawn only up in July of last year and a report was sent last December to the European Community’s Telecommunications Commission for approval. A report from Brussels is expected next month so that the ruling can be passed at the end of March. After that, the government’s priority will be to open up the extension phone market, which is currently the market in highest demand. Allowing for the legislation involved, extension phones should be in the shops by April, and modems, private switchboards, and other supplimentary terminals will join them in the Autumn. Consequently, the end of 1991 should mark the liberalisation of main telephones and the last of the telecommunications terminals. Regarding multi-line phones, however, Spain will wait and see what the rest of Europe does apropos a currently ambiguous area in EC law.
