Broadband: flexibility encourages fast deployment in the EU

"Greater flexibility for Member States to adapt local and technical broadband provisions to national circumstances is the best way to encourage a cost-efficient and quick broadband deployment. I am glad that the European Parliament’s Industry Committee has approved the EPP Group’s proposal to transform this Regulation into a Directive", said Gunnar Hökmark MEP, EPP Group Vice-Chairman and Shadow Rapporteur, following today's vote on the Report on measures to reduce the cost of deploying high-speed electronic communications networks.

"Ensuring access to physical infrastructure is an important step towards reducing the costs of broadband deployment in Europe. By rejecting the one-size-fits all solution proposed by the European Commission, today's decision will establish important principles while ensuring that inherently local issues, such as planning and building permits, will also be the responsibility of Member States in the future", explained Hökmark.

"Instead of focusing on centralisation and overly-prescriptive rules, we should be focusing all our attention on creating a single market for telecoms where operators and consumers can benefit from a 500 million-strong market. This is the best way to increase broadband deployment in Europe", concluded Hökmark.