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European Parliament Wants Its Own Rules for Fiber and Copper Switch-Off
Policy2 min read
The European Parliament has published a draft of its possible position on the Digital Networks Act (DNA), a planned EU law that will reshape telecom rules. The draft covers how old copper networks get switched off and when big internet providers must negotiate with each other.
What happened
The European Parliament published a draft paper on Wednesday. It shows, for the first time, what the Parliament might want in the Digital Networks Act. The draft is not the final position yet, but the telecom industry already sees points to discuss. The European Commission proposed the law in January, and now Parliament, the member states and the Commission must negotiate the details.
What the DNA is
The DNA is meant to combine four existing sets of EU telecom rules into one law. It covers key topics such as moving from copper lines to fiber optic cables, mobile networks and net neutrality. Net neutrality means that internet providers should treat all data equally.
Key numbers and facts
- A 'Very High Capacity Network' must reach over 1,000 Mbit/s download and 200 Mbit/s upload.
- It must also have a delay (round trip) of less than 10 milliseconds.
- Copper networks may only be switched off where at least 15 percent of users are still connected to copper six months after the DNA takes effect.
- Big providers that cause more than 2 percent of EU data traffic could be required to negotiate interconnection with others.
Why it matters
The rules decide how fast Europe moves from old copper lines to fiber and who pays for the switch. Former monopolies like Deutsche Telekom would still face some regulation even in the fiber age, which the competitor association VATM welcomes. The industry also wants clear and binding steps for switching off copper, while countries with very different progress want flexibility.
What to watch
- How the Parliament and the member states settle the final wording in the negotiations.
- Whether the 'Very High Capacity Network' name stays or is replaced by 'Gigabit networks'.
- Which national rules each country will write for switching off copper areas.
- How the 2 percent rule for negotiating interconnection is applied to big providers.
Glossary
- Digital Networks Act (DNA)
- A planned EU law that would combine four sets of telecom rules into one.
- VATM
- A German association of companies that offer digital and telecom services, which want more competition.
- Deutsche Telekom
- A large German telecom company that was once a state-run monopoly.