IN BRIEF (Page 17)

Swisscom fined $216m

Switzerland's competition commission said yesterday it has fined Swisscom AG almost 220 million Swiss francs ($216 million) for overcharging its wholesale broadband customers.

Swisscom, the country's dominant telecoms company, set the price for wholesale ADSL connections so high that competitors, who depend on the company's network to reach customers, couldn't operate profitable broadband businesses, the regulator said. The company lowered its prices for competitors, which include Sunrise, VTX and Green, at the start of 2008. Swisscom immediately announced it would appeal the fine.