rec_273

(273) In order to take full advantage of the competitive environment, consumers should be able to make informed choices and to change providers when it is in their best interest to do so. It is essential to ensure that they are able to do so without being hindered by legal, technical or practical obstacles, including contractual conditions, procedures and charges. That does not preclude providers from setting reasonable minimum contractual periods of up to 24 months in consumer contracts. However, Member States should have the possibility to maintain or introduce provisions for a shorter maximum duration and to permit consumers to change tariff plans or terminate the contract within the contract period without incurring additional costs in light of national conditions, such as levels of competition and stability of network investments. Independently from the electronic communications service contract, consumers might prefer and benefit from a longer reimbursement period for physical connections. Such consumer commitments can be an important factor in facilitating deployment of very high capacity networks up to or very close to end-user premises, including through demand aggregation schemes which enable network investors to reduce initial take-up risks. However, the rights of consumers to switch between providers of electronic communications services, as established in this Directive, should not be restricted by such reimbursement periods in contracts on physical connections and such contracts should not cover terminal or internet access equipment, such as handsets, routers or modems. Member States should ensure the equal treatment of entities, including operators, financing the deployment of a very high capacity physical connection to the premises of an end-user, including where such financing is by way of an instalment contract.

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-10-28 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.