Gigabit Connectivity

This chapter discusses the implications of a Commission White Paper on the future of digital networks in Europe. The text also explores the deployment of 5G and the development of 6G. Concerns over international competitiveness and their ability to invest persist among Europe’s telecom operators. The crucial importance of fast Internet access has heightened the political sensitivity of access regulation. The 2024 Gigabit Recommendation focuses on promoting Very High Capacity Networks through more flexible ex ante regulation. It advocates for a balanced approach to price control obligations while encouraging NRAs to consider geographic differences in competitive conditions. The revision of the Broadband Cost Reduction Directive of 2014 was approved by the co-legislators in 2024. This Regulation focuses on issues like access to physical infrastructure and transparency in civil works coordination. Notable changes include detailed provisions addressing permissions, exemptions for small-scale civil works, and mandates for infrastructure access. The deployment of 5G has been uneven in the EU, mainly due to disjointed spectrum assignment. The vision of 5G as an enabling infrastructure for industrial digital transformation hinges on the deployment of the stand-alone version of 5G, which is only now beginning to happen. The development of 6G is still embryonic, and it seems that geopolitical tensions might undermine international cooperation in standard setting.