Gigabit Infrastructure Act: A global leadership opportunity for the EU?

In 2023, the European Commission proposed initiatives like the Gigabit Infrastructure Act, Public Consultation on Future Networks and Business Models for Electronic Communications, and the Call for Evidence on Virtual Worlds. These initiatives aim to improve connectivity policy frameworks and enhance services in Europe.The European Commission's 2030 Digital Decade Targets aim to ensure that every EU household has access to a fixed gigabit network, and that 5G coverage extends to all populated areas by 2030. Achieving these goals requires the rapid deployment of high-capacity networks (VHCN). According to the European Parliament, a high-quality digital infrastructure based on such high-capacity networks would underpin almost all sectors of a modern and innovative economy.The Gigabit Infrastructure Act aims at facilitating and stimulating the provision of VHCN. It promotes the joint use of existing infrastructure and enables more efficient deployment of new infrastructure, reducing the time and cost involved in rolling out these networks.According to industry stakeholders, with its rapid adoption and efforts to preserve national best practices, operators can gain clarity and more timely access to publicly-owned network and non-network facilities, which are increasingly important for 5G.Rewatch this EURACTIV Virtual Conference to discuss the foundation that supports Europe’s digital ecosystem. Questions included:- To what extent can the EU ensure that the legislation is harmonised while preserving existing best practices?- How can the EU institutions and regulators surmount the obstacles to harmonising the legislation across the EU 27?- What steps can policymakers take to safeguard the principle of technology neutrality in the Regulation, in line with the technologically neutral approach taken in the Digital Decade Policy Programme?- How can the EU and Member States strike the right balance between encouraging private investment and leveraging public funding or state aid?