Orange and other major European telecom operators have asked the European Commission to relax the draft Digital Networks Act, saying the current rules are inconsistent. In their open letter, the signatories also put a 475 billion euro figure on the mobile investment gap they say Europe still needs to close.
Spectrum rules sit at the center of the letter
The operators want to end repeated spectrum auctions, saying those auctions have cost the industry 110 billion euros over twelve years. They are calling for spectrum licenses to have no default time limit, with a minimum duration of 40 years in exceptional cases.
They also want the European Commission to make the Digital Networks Act follow its principle of design simplicity. The same letter pushes for less regulation and bureaucracy, more harmonization, and more room for investment and innovation.
Copper shutdown deadlines are another target
The signatories do not want regulators to impose a deadline for shutting down copper fixed-line networks. They argue that the transition to fiber should be driven by market demand rather than regulatory orders.
That position sits alongside their wider call for gigabit connectivity for everyone, standalone 5G for industry, and investment in satellites and submarine cables. The operators also say the European telecom ecosystem contributes 5% of European Union GDP and that operators invest 64 billion euros per year.
Consolidation and equipment replacement stay in view
The letter also asks for antitrust rules to be eased so that market consolidation and cross-border mergers can produce pan-European players. That is part of the same push for more flexibility across investment, licensing, and merger control.
On security policy, the operators warn that replacing Chinese telecom equipment could cost up to 40 billion euros. The article identifies Huawei and ZTE as the equipment makers that could be affected by the ban on suppliers from high-risk third countries.
Read for spectrum and network policy teams
The letter gives network-policy teams a clear benchmark on what Europe’s biggest operators want changed: longer-lived spectrum rights, no forced copper shutoff dates, and looser merger rules. It also puts a number on the capital fight by pairing the 475 billion euro investment gap with the 40 billion euro replacement bill for Chinese equipment.