25 January, 2017
ETNO Position Paper on the European Electronic Communications Code
PDF available at this link.
Regulation for the Gigabit Society
The European Commission has set a broad and ambitious vision for the EU Digital Single Market and
its electronic communications sector. The vision is aimed at creating a European Gigabit Society, and at
turning the EU into a global leader in the development of 5G. This is expected to create a new wave of
smart jobs, fresh opportunities for all citizens and innovation-driven growth.
ETNO and its members fully embrace this ambition. We commend the leadership of President Juncker,
Vice-President Ansip and Commissioner Oettinger for having put this vision high at the top of the EU
agenda.
At ETNO, we do not only support this vision. We want to be practical on how to make it happen.
Innovation in fields such as 5G, connected and automated driving, Internet of Things and many more
will be crucial to enhance Europe’s competitiveness, job creation and growth. This step forward will not
be possible without strong, reliable, powerful broadband networks and the development of innovative
digital services.
To get there, and deliver even better outcomes for consumers and businesses, Europe needs to accelerate
its efforts and put in place more investment-friendly and pro-innovation policies. At current investment
levels, we will not reach the current Digital Agenda targets and the new Gigabit Society objectives in
time. We need to step up, embracing all possible technologies and investment models that can lead us
there, as shown in two recent reports by the Boston Consulting Group, commissioned by ETNO.
We need to make sure that all EU citizens, in all areas, can benefit from the Gigabit Society in the shortest
timeframe possible.
The new European Electronic Communications Code (EECC) proposed by the European Commission is a
key piece of legislation. It will contribute to determine whether Europe will be able to achieve its vision
and empower its digital economy and society. For this reason, it is crucial that Europe gets it right.
In this paper, we provide our views on the main provisions of the Code and we make practical suggestions
on how the Code can be strengthened to best achieve its underlying goals and the Gigabit Society vision.
We believe that the Code offers a good starting point for the debate, but it still needs substantial
improvement in the legislative process.
As primary investors in the Gigabit Society, ETNO and its members are naturally engaged in its
achievement. For this, we will be taking active part in the legislative process and look forward to discussing
with policymakers and all stakeholders on the best way ahead.
