Reforming EU Telecoms Rules to create a Digital Union

The European telecom regulatory framework has promoted low levels of network investments making it challenging to meet the broadband targets of the Digital Agenda for Europe. The concept of the digital divide should be revisited to properly consider the real essential needs of European citizens and firms. Updating the telecom rules should be complemented with demand-side policies.

This study, provided by the Policy Department A at the request of the ITRE committee of the European Parliament, assesses different policy options to improve the situation.

External author: Rafael RIVERA PASTOR (Iclaves S.L.), Juan Pablo VILLAR GARCÍA (Iclaves S.L.) and José Luis GÓMEZ BARROSO (National Distance Education University of Spain)

European Parliament: Directorate-General for Internal Policies of the Union: Publications available via the EU Bookshop http://bookshop.europa.eu/en/directorate-general-for-internal-policies-of-the-union-cbf.cKABstF7wAAAEjwYYY4e5K/

European Parliament: European Parliamentary Research Service: Studies, March 2016: Reforming EU Telecoms Rules to create a Digital Union http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2016/570011/IPOL_STU(2016)570011_EN.pdf

EP: EPRS: Briefing, June 2016: Digital Union http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2016/579004/IPOL_BRI(2016)579004_EN.pdf

EurActiv: LinksDossier: New telecoms rules: bringing Europe’s internet up to speed? http://www.euractiv.com/section/digital/linksdossier/new-telecoms-rules-bringing-europes-internet-up-to-speed/

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