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Chapter 12
Universal service
Section 85
Designating a universal service provider
Universal service means provision of public telephone services and appropriate Internet
access in a fixed location and provision of directory inquiry services and telephone directory
services.
Ficora shall designate one or more telecommunications operators, operators providing a
directory inquiry service or operators providing a telephone directory service as a universal
service provider if this is necessary in order to ensure universal service provision in a certain
geographic area. The designation procedure shall be efficient, unbiased, open and nondiscriminatory. An operator with the best possible prerequisites to provide universal service
that meets the requirements shall be assigned as the universal service provider.
Ficora shall amend a decision referred to in subsection 2 if there are significant changes in
matters on which the decision is based.
Section 86
Universal service obligation concerning the provision of public telephone services
A telecommunications operator that Ficora has designated as a universal service provider in
public telephone services as referred to in section 85 shall provide, at a reasonable price and
regardless of the geographical location, a subscriber connection to the public communications
network at the subscriber’s or user’s permanent place of residence or location. The
telecommunications operator shall provide a subscriber connection within a reasonable period
from the order.
The subscriber connection to be provided shall allow all users, including those with
disabilities, to use emergency services, make and receive national and international calls and
use other ordinary telephone services.
Further provisions on the special needs of persons with disabilities shall be issued by
Government Decree. Prior to this, Ficora shall produce a clarification on those needs.
Ficora may issue further regulations on how the connection is to be implemented technically
or on what technical features the connection shall have in order to allow use by persons with
disabilities.
Section 87
Universal service obligation concerning the provision of Internet access service
A telecommunications operator that Ficora has designated as a universal service provider in
Internet access services as referred to in section 85 shall provide, at a reasonable price from
the perspective of the average user and regardless of the geographical location, a subscriber
connection to the public communications network at the subscriber's or user’s permanent
place of residence or location. The telecommunications undertaking shall provide a connection
within a reasonable period from the order.