TECH

5G and high-speed networks are bets of Brussels for telecommunications strategy

Parliament and the European Council reached a political agreement to update EU telecommunication rules which, according to Vice President for Digital Single Market Andrus Ansip, "is essential to meet the growing connectivity needs of Europeans and boost the competitiveness of Europe ".The rules will pave the way for the deployment of 5G networks and are crucial to achieving Europe's connectivity goals in order to give everyone in the EU the best possible connection to the Internet.In particular, they will ensure that spectrum frequencies, ie bands in which the new services will be provided, will be available at the same time (until the end of 2020) across Europe and under the same technical conditions. They will also allow operators predictability for at least 20 years in terms of spectrum licensing.The new European Electronic Communications Code will also boost investment in very fast speed networks across the EU, including in remote and rural areas.For Commissioner for Economy and Digital Society, Mariya Gabriel, these are "bold and balanced" rules, but "essential for Europe's digital future"
"After several months of tough negotiations, we have agreed on bold and balanced rules to provide faster access to the radio spectrum, better services and more protection for consumers, as well as increased investment in high-speed networks," he said.
When the goals of a Single Digital Market are achieved and high-speed networks are fully available, EU competitiveness will increase on a global scale, the Commission said in a statement.
The Code will modernize the current EU telecommunications rules, last updated in 2009, stimulate competition to boost investment and strengthen the internal market and consumer rights.

Sapo