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und hier der Kommentar: Commentary: Rubinstein, Stick to Your Guns By Efi Landau Attorney General Elyakim Rubinstein has notified Prime Minister Ehud Barak that the cable companies had not replied to the queries made by Deputy Attorney General Davida Lahman-Messer. For this reason, Rubinstein added, he could not meet the deadline set by Barak, namely, provide an opinion within eight days on awarding a temporary high-speed Internet license. Two scenarios are now possible. Under the first, the cable companies will meet today or tomorrow and furnish Rubinstein with the required answers. They will probably either answer "No" to the key question of whether they would be prepared to place their infrastructures at the disposal of competitors, or say "Yes", and make their consent conditional on a two-year period of grace. Under the second scenario, the cable companies will not come up with any answers, in which case the Attorney General will issue an unequivocal recommendation against providing them with a license. One thing is certain: We are not going to get any high-speed Internet out of this. The cable companies are not going to get a license, nor will Bezeq (if it gets one, the cable companies will petition the HCJ), and both monopolies will see to it that the amendment will not go through either. So who is to blame for all this? Are the jurists - Elyakim Rubinstein and Davida Lahman-Messer - the real culprits? Accusations that they are motivated by populist considerations are none other than populist. As things now stand, cable company leaders are not prompted by concern for the interests of the State, but for their own business interests. They are fully entitled to do so, and this, rather than any other reason, is holding up competition. High-speed Internet is delayed because Bezeq is fighting competition, as are the cable companies, and because the Ministry of Communication is not doing enough to promote the cause of competition. All Rubinstein is doing is seeking legal ways for encouraging competition. That is why we say: stick to your guns, Rubinstein. Published by Israel`s Business Arena on 25 September, 2000 |
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| aus der Diskussion: | Met@box - der Israeldeal |
| Autor (Datum des Eintrages): | Oliver H. (25.09.00 17:26:58) |
| Beitrag: | 73 von 315 (ID:1918620) |
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