The European Commission has set out a sweeping rewrite of the EU’s telecoms rulebook, proposing a Digital Networks Act (DNA) intended to replace and consolidate parts of the current framework for electronic communications and spectrum policy.
Presented on 21 January 2026, the draft seeks to reduce national divergence in telecom regulation, encourage long-term investment in fibre and mobile networks, and introduce new EU-level mechanisms for authorisation and resilience planning.
Open-ended spectrum and “renewal by default”
At the centre of the proposal is a move towards open-ended radio spectrum rights for operators, alongside a presumption that licences will be renewed at expiry. The Commission argues that longer and more predictable spectrum conditions should support investment planning for 5G upgrades and future network generations.
A draft reported earlier this month indicated that the approach would be paired with safeguards to prevent spectrum hoarding, including “use-it-or-share-it or lose-it” type provisions and deployment requirements. It also suggested a stronger consistency check on national licence conditions.
Spectrum allocation has remained largely national in practice, with differing auction timings, licence conditions and renewal practices across the bloc. The Commission is now proposing a more harmonised model, while keeping a role for national authorities in implementation.
Fibre transition and copper switch-off planning
The DNA also targets the shift from legacy copper networks towards fibre. The Commission proposes mandatory national transition plans covering the phase-out of copper and the consumer and market arrangements around migration.
In parallel, the proposal links the fibre transition to the EU’s connectivity targets for the next decade. Commission’s objective is full fibre coverage between 2030 and 2035, with flexibility for governments to extend a 2030 copper replacement deadline where necessary.
The Commission describes the access regime as being updated to support fibre deployment while preparing for competitive conditions in a future “full fibre” environment, including changes to ex-ante rules applied to operators with significant market power.
No mandatory “fair share” levy
The proposal stops short of imposing a mandatory contribution from large online platforms to telecom network costs — a measure often described in Brussels as a “fair share” levy. Major European operators had previously argued that traffic-heavy services such as video streaming should contribute to infrastructure funding.
Instead, the Commission proposes a voluntary cooperation mechanism covering IP interconnection and traffic efficiency, and a voluntary framework for cooperation between telecom operators and large digital firms rather than a fee.
The issue has been politically sensitive, not least because it would have raised questions about net neutrality and potential discrimination in the handling of internet traffic. In its outline of the new framework, the Commission states that the DNA will incorporate core parts of the EU’s Open Internet rules, while creating a mechanism to clarify how those rules apply to certain innovative services.
A “single passport” and satellite spectrum authorisation
Beyond investment incentives, the Commission’s proposal is designed to make cross-border provision easier in a market it describes as fragmented along national lines. The DNA would introduce an option for a “Single Passport” authorisation, allowing notification in one Member State for certain operations across the EU.
It also proposes an EU-level satellite spectrum authorisation, intended to support pan-European satellite connectivity services.
Resilience, preparedness and institutional changes
The draft places new emphasis on resilience and crisis preparedness, proposing an EU-level Preparedness Plan for digital infrastructures and measures aimed at reducing dependencies in parts of the connectivity ecosystem, including satellite communications.
On governance, the Commission proposes transforming the Radio Spectrum Policy Group into a formal EU body, while assigning additional tasks to BEREC, including guidelines linked to the single passport procedure and work on the Union preparedness plan. The BEREC support office would be renamed the Office for Digital Networks.
Next steps
The Digital Networks Act is a draft law and will need approval from both Member States and the European Parliament before it can take effect. The shift towards open-ended spectrum licences would represent a significant change in the investment framework for operators, while the Commission has stopped short of adopting the industry’s preferred model for mandatory payments by large online platforms.
