Telecoms regulation
EU Parliament backs roaming extension until 2032, price cuts
The European Parliament has backed the extension of free roaming services in the EU until 2032 and its position envisages lower cap prizes than initially proposed, provisions on intra-EU calls, stronger quality of service, and transparency obligations for telecom providers.
French senators welcome 4G deployment strategy, bemoan not being involved
The French Senate's Finance Committee on Tuesday (28 September) presented its recommendations on the national strategy for the deployment of 4G in France, highlighting the "substantial progress" in terms of coverage, but also raising a few points of concern. EURACTIV France reports.
Digital Brief powered by Facebook: Nvidia seeks clearance, Germany’s conflicting views, DMA & DSA Council updates
Welcome to EURACTIV’s Digital Brief, your weekly update on all things digital in the EU. You can subscribe to the newsletter here. “We are working through the regulatory process and we look forward to engaging with the European Commission to address...
Digital Brief: Big Tech, Big Lobbying, Ireland’s fine, politics-free Facebook
Welcome to EURACTIV’s Digital Brief, your weekly update on all things digital in the EU. You can subscribe to the newsletter here. “The Commission is open to meeting anyone who wishes to speak to us. The Commission does not, and will...
EU court rules zero tariff offers violate open internet, roaming provisions
The European Union’s highest court ruled on Thursday (2 September) that unlimited streaming offers from Vodafone and Deutsche Telekom violate EU roaming and net neutrality rules.
Digital Brief powered by Facebook: Pegasus affair, Schrems III, online anonymity questioned
Welcome to EURACTIV’s Digital Brief, your weekly update on all things digital in the EU. You can subscribe to the newsletter here. “These [allegations] have to be verified, but if it is the case, it is completely unacceptable, against any kind...
Digital Brief: ePrivacy derogation adopted, YouTube’s algorithm, killer acquisitions
Welcome to EURACTIV’s Digital Brief, your weekly update on all things digital in the EU. You can subscribe to the newsletter here. “This interim regulation ends uncertainty for companies. It does not end the danger to children. This is only a...
Europe needs ambitious roaming
EU lawmakers must stay ambitious about roaming, and that means keeping caps as low as possible, writes Miapetra Kumpula-Natri.
Connectivity is the starting point for the 2030 digital targets
Digital connectivity is a precondition for achieving the EU digital agenda, but filling the existing digital gap will require a concerted approach among policymakers at the EU and national level and coordination with private providers.
EU Commission greenlights German initiative to eradicate ‘dead spot’ problem
The European Commission approved on Tuesday (25 May the German government's plan to invest almost €1.1 billion in expanding its network in order to finally get to grips with the smouldering problem of so-called 'dead spots'.
Digital Brief powered by Google: Parliament bashing US data transfers, Ireland’s GDPR enforcement, UK adequacy decision
Welcome to EURACTIV’s Digital Brief, your weekly update on all things digital in the EU. You can subscribe to the newsletter here. “The Commission must not repeat the same mistakes by negotiating and signing off on data transfer agreements with third...
5G : French constitutional court backs provisions of ‘anti-Huawei law’
France's highest court ruled on Friday (5 February) that the law introduced by the government on the security of 5G networks - dubbed 'anti-Huawei law' - is consistent with the Constitution. EURACTIV France reports.
US praises German moves to sideline Huawei from 5G networks
The US administration has welcomed reports that Germany is set to take a tougher stance against the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, also noting that they would welcome the country into the US's so-called 5G 'clean network' program.
France is right, kids home during the pandemic shouldn’t use phones for hours
The US should follow the lead of France when it comes to testing the radiation from mobile phones, writes Devra Davis, arguing that we still don't really know how safe the devices and their networks are.
France will not let Huawei’s investments influence its 5G expansion plans
French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire said Huawei's willingness to open a factory in France would not change "the government's position on 5G in any way". EURACTIV's partner La Tribune reports.
Huawei shouldn’t be getting its hopes up for German 5G expansion just yet
Although the CDU and CSU did not explicitly decide on the exclusion of Huawei, their position paper provided exclusion criteria that could nonetheless apply to the Chinese telecom giant. The ball is now in the court of the coalition partners, the Social Democratic Party (SPD). EURACTIV Germany reports.
Should the EU embrace artificial intelligence, or fear it?
Advances in machine learning are progressing rapidly, and governments are struggling to keep up. The EU has emerged as the world’s regulator in this space, but some fear it's stifling European innovation.
Murder victim’s plight prompts EU order on emergency calls
A horrific rape and murder of a kidnapped teen in Lithuania prompted the European Court of Justice on Thursday (5 September) to order mobile phone operators to hand over data enabling the localisation of calls made to the international emergency number 112.
Ren Zhengfei: ‘Very likely’ Huawei products will be used in UK core 5G networks
Huawei 5G equipment will most probably be used in core aspects of the UK's future 5G network infrastructure, the founder of the Chinese telecommunications giant, Ren Zhengfei has said. His claim runs contrary to the previous stance held by the UK cabinet, which was to permit the company access only to 'non-core' aspects of the country's 5G networks.
Investment in ‘first class connectivity infrastructure’ a priority, Commission says
The cable industry's ambitions of ubiquitous gigabit connectivity have long been hindered by a number of obstacles, including patchy coverage and consumer trust issues. Carlota Reyners Fontana explains what the EU Commission is doing to improve the bloc's broadband gaps.
Commission ‘assessing complaints’ against Nokia connected car patents, as MEPs back WiFi plans
The European Commission has revealed that is it looking into antitrust complaints levelled against the Finnish telecommunications giant Nokia, for the company's alleged refusal to license mobile components that could be used in next-generation connected cars.
Commission rolls out 5G recommendations, has ‘specific concerns’ about Huawei
The European Commission has laid out plans for a coordinated EU approach towards the next generation of mobile broadband networks, 5G, following concerns about China aired by member states during last week's European Council summit.
Nokia in damage-control mode following Chinese data-leak probe
Nokia "mistakenly" sent customer data to China, the European telecoms giant has admitted, following the announcement of an investigation into the allegations by the Finnish data protection watchdog.