TEPSA is happy to present its new policy brief “Is Skype a telecommunications company – and why does it matter?” written by Hildegunn Kyvik Nordås, Research Professor at the Norwegian Institute for International Affairs (NUPI) and Visiting Professor at Örebro University.

Abstract
Telecommunications constitute the core of the digital economy. EU regulation of the sector aims at promoting connectivity and access to very high capacity networks. To that end, and to keep up with technical developments, the regulatory framework is revised from time to time with a view to roll back regulation as competitive markets take hold. Whether or not an activity falls under the regulatory framework for telecommunications, which is the main category under electronic communications services, makes a huge difference as the recent ECJ decision on Skype illustrates. A longer version of this brief was published in Hildegunn Kyvik Nordås (2019), Trade in telecommunications and international trade agreements, Working Paper no. 2019-01, Trade and Investment in Services Associates (TIISA).