The technical impact of the unbundling process and regulatory action

The process, referred to as unbundling, of allowing alternative operators t o use the copper twisted wire pairs installed and owned by the local or nat ional monopoly telephone operator is currently underway in many parts of th e world. Not entirely without reason, most see this as a purely economical and legal matter, but it also has a surprisingly large impact on the engine ering of broadband communication systems. This applies to the standardizati on and design phase as well as to the deployment phase. We survey the backg round of unbundling, and the goals and thinking of a regulator, and elabora te on the technical impact of unbundling. Examples are taken from VDSL stan dardization and the regulatory situation in various European countries.