BEREC Guidelines detailing Quality of Service Parameters
According to Article 4 of the BEREC Regulation1, BEREC shall issue guidelines on the implementation of the European Union regulatory framework for electronic communications, as referred to in Directive (EU) 2018/1972 (EECC),2 on, among other things, relevant quality of service (QoS) parameters the applicable measurement methods, the content and format of publication of the information, and quality certification mechanisms, in accordance with Article 104 of EECC. In this context, in 2020, BEREC issued Guidelines detailing QoS parameters3 (hereafter Guidelines) to provide guidance to National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) with respect to Article 104 of the EECC, taking into account, where appropriate, the parameters, definitions and measurement methods set out in Annex X. Section 7 of the previous Guidelines lays down a review period to commence 2 years from their adoption and publication. On that basis, BEREC is revising the Guidelines.
The rationale for initially issuing the Guidelines as well as their update is to provide guidance to NRAs in respect to Article 104 of the EECC and to contribute to the consistent application of Article 104(2) and Annex X, with the aim of defining:
1. The relevant QoS parameters in relation to Interpersonal Communications Services (ICS) and Internet Access Service (IAS),
2. The parameters relevant for end-users with disabilities,
3. The applicable measurement methods for these QoS parameters, including, where appropriate, the ETSI and ITU standards set out in Annex X of the EECC in relation to ICS and IAS, respectively,
4. The content and format of the QoS information to be published, and
5. Possible quality certification mechanisms.