The European Commission has proposed regulations that will allow operators to use radio spectrum indefinitely and mandate the phased removal of copper infrastructure.
The European Commission has proposed the Digital Networks Act, a comprehensive telecommunications regulation that will allow operators to use radio spectrum indefinitely and mandate the phased removal of copper networks across the bloc between 2030 and 2035. The regulation, announced in Brussels on January 21, marks the biggest telecom reform in the EU since the 2018 European Electronic Communications Code.
Here are the proposed regulations
According to the draft, operators will be granted indefinite spectrum usage rights instead of the currently enforced licenses of at least 20 years. The Commission states that this step will increase investment predictability, enabling faster network deployment and improved service quality. The draft also proposes greater use of spectrum sharing in cases where frequencies are not fully utilized.
The proposed regulation consolidates four separate pieces of legislation into a single regulation and introduces a "Single Passport" authorization, enabling companies to offer services in all 27 member states by registering in just one country.
Under the new regulation, the European Commission is preparing to allow member states to postpone the shutdown of copper telecommunications infrastructure until 2035. This will give the sector more time to transition to fiber infrastructure.
Member states will be required to prepare mandatory national transition plans by 2029 to gradually phase out their old copper networks between 2030 and 2035, and national governments will be authorized to set their own timelines based on market conditions.
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