EU Digital Networks Act: Pan‑EU Rules, Fiber Deadline, Interconnect Risk
The European Commission has proposed the Digital Networks Act (DNA), a directly applicable EU regulation that consolidates multiple existing telecoms and connectivity rules, including elements of the EECC, Open Internet Regulation, and ePrivacy Directive, into a single harmonized framework. The draft introduces a single-passport authorization regime, EU-level spectrum and satellite authorizations, mandatory copper switch-off in favor of fiber by 2035, strengthened resilience and security obligations, and maintains open internet rules with new reporting duties. It also creates a voluntary conciliation mechanism for disputes between telecom operators and large content/cloud providers over interconnection and traffic-related issues.
Key Takeaways
- Faster pan‑EU launches via a single‑passport authorization and EU‑level spectrum/satellite permits — but providers remain subject to national enforcement.
- Mandatory copper switch‑off: Member States must submit national fiber transition plans by 31 Oct 2029 to achieve copper phase‑out by 2035 — capex and migration timelines now contractual.
- No mandatory ‘network fee,’ but a new EU voluntary conciliation process and BEREC guidance create a centralized forum for interconnection and traffic disputes — a likely battleground for peering economics.
- Stronger resilience, supply‑chain security and biannual net‑neutrality reporting, plus a beefed‑up BEREC and new Office for Digital Networks — compliance posture must align with NIS2/CSA 2.0.
Why It Matters
This is a strategic reset: Brussels is replacing fragmented national telecom rules with a single, enforceable EU playbook. For streaming and CDN players that means lower friction launching across the single market but higher centralized compliance and new bargaining dynamics on interconnection. The 2035 copper deadline accelerates last‑mile fiber investment—critical for high‑bitrate streaming, low‑latency edge services and satellite backhaul strategies. The voluntary conciliation route is where commercial fights over cost and traffic efficiency will migrate; outcomes there could reshape peering economics. Finally, harmonized resilience and supply‑chain obligations raise compliance costs but reduce cross‑border outage risk—expect investors and operators to reprioritize capex and contractual protections.
Read full article at jonesday.com
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