Local 5G/6G Network Business in Europe: Regulatory Analysis and Legitimacy Considerations

Local 5G/6G mobile communication networks can be deployed by different stakeholders to serve a variety of user groups with different needs. The legal framework influencing local 5G/6G network deployments and operations, the EU Digital Legal Framework, has been recently developed and adopted by the EU, influencing network deployments, and impacting new stakeholders’ ability to become accepted and legitimate members of the mobile ecosystem. This chapter identifies and discusses relevant EU legal acts and presents the EU legal initiatives in the context of local mobile communication networks. It reviews previous research from the legitimacy challenge perspective and adds to a better understanding of how regulation currently delimits the emerging business models of the local 5G/6G networks. The chapter concludes by discussing the implications of the analysis for regulators and firms deploying local 5G/6G networks.