“ THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE EU TELECOMS SECTOR , AND THEREFORE REGULATORY PROGRESSION , SHOULD NOT BE UNDERESTIMATED .”
Europe needs a clear and really predictable regulatory and competition law landscape for the necessary infrastructure investment , in particular for co-investment , where companies – in the absence of clearly defined safe harbours – may fear proceeding because of unpredictable competition law consequences .
Q . HOW DO YOU SEE THE REGULATORY LANDSCAPE IN EMEA EVOLVING THIS YEAR WITH REGARD TO TELECOMS ?
» The negative impact of COVID- 19 on the EU telecoms sector , and therefore regulatory progression , should not be underestimated .
EU regulators must be ready to further support operators to reduce the risks of a slowdown to the development of the digital economy .
The sector would also benefit from more support and clarity on co-investment and horizontal cooperation in general to help drive efficient deployments of the very expensive networks needed to support 5G .
More prescriptive measures on the security of telecoms networks and services are anticipated and , in light of the release of a new draft in January 2021 , the long-awaited new ePrivacy Regulation might finally make its way through the EU legislative process .
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