Article 9U.K.Access to in-building physical infrastructure

1.Member States shall ensure that, subject to the first subparagraph of paragraph 3, every public communications network provider has the right to roll out its network at its own costs, up to the access point.

2.Member States shall ensure that, subject to the first subparagraph of paragraph 3, every public communications network provider has the right to access any existing in-building physical infrastructure with a view to deploying a high-speed electronic communications network if duplication is technically impossible or economically inefficient.

3.Member States shall ensure that any holder of a right to use the access point and the in-building physical infrastructure meets all reasonable requests for access from public communications network providers under fair and non-discriminatory terms and conditions, including price, where appropriate.

Where agreement on access referred to in paragraph 1 or 2 is not achieved within two months from the date of receipt of the formal request for access, Member States shall ensure that each party has the right to refer the issue to the competent national dispute settlement body in order to assess compliance with the requirements provided for in those paragraphs. The national dispute settlement body shall, taking full account of the principle of proportionality, issue a binding decision to resolve the dispute within the shortest possible time frame and in any case within two months, except in exceptional circumstances, without prejudice to the possibility of any party to refer the case to a court.

4.Member States may grant exemptions from paragraphs 1 to 3 for buildings where access to an existing network that terminates at the end-user's location and that is suitable for the provision of high-speed electronic communications services is ensured on objective, transparent, proportionate and non-discriminatory terms and conditions.

5.In the absence of available high-speed-ready in-building infrastructure, Member States shall ensure that every public communications network provider has the right to terminate its network at the premises of the subscriber, subject to the agreement of the subscriber, provided that it minimises the impact on the private property of third parties.

6.This Article shall be without prejudice to the right to property of the owner of the access point or the in-building physical infrastructure in cases where the holder of a right to use that infrastructure or access point is not the owner thereof, and to the right to property of other third parties, such as landowners and building owners.

Member States may lay down rules on adequate financial compensation of persons suffering damage as a result of the exercise of the rights provided for in this Article.