tries adhere to a single currency or a single external tariff. In addition to the common marketplace, the EU has developed and is in the process of working with member nations to estab- lish regulations that conform to the 2009 Telecoms Reform on broadband, which was agreed to by the member nations. The published goals of the Telecoms Reform are to increase the availability of broadband in rural areas, increase the speeds and availability of broadband, and estab- lish a single European telecom market. While reforms that were initiated in the mid- 1980s have resulted in a 30 percent reduction in broadband prices, there are still only a limited number of carriers with services throughout Europe. Moreover, although in many Western European countries more than 70 percent of households have Internet access, percentages in rural areas and Eastern Europe are much lower. The new reforms are geared toward establishing uniform rules SO that carriers can more easily operate in multiple markets that have matching regulations. This is planned to encourage compe- tition and innovation to increase service offerings throughout the EU. A quote from the introduction to the new rules published in December 2009 states the following: Telecoms are more than ever central to our lives and work. Economic and social activities alike have come to rely on telecom services and infrastructure. Moreover, the introduction (in the 1980s) of competition has raised standards of service all round, making former monopolies much more responsive to the needs of consumers. A key ingredient of the reforms is the functional separation rule that is designed to increase competition and consumer choice. This rule requires telecom operators to separate operation of their broadband networks from the sale of services. Different parts of the telephone companies will sell services to businesses and individuals and other parts will maintain the infrastructure and offer wholesale access to providers. This increases the number of ISPs that can operate without requi