MVNO Europe calls on the European Commission to enable a true Single Market for mobile connectivity and Internet of Things (IoT) through the Digital Networks Act

The upcoming legislative proposal for a Digital Networks Act (DNA) marks a defining moment for the European Union to build a true Single Market for electronic communications based on openness, competition and innovation.

MVNO Europe believes the upcoming DNA should build on the achievements of the existing EU regulatory framework by strengthening competition among diverse providers. This competition drives innovation and delivers tangible benefits for European consumers and businesses. Ensuring genuine choice for end users is essential to maintain Europe’s global competitiveness.

In light of the DNA, MVNO Europe stresses the importance of preserving and reinforcing key aspects of the European Electronic Communications Code (EECC):

1. Maintaining the Significant Market Power (SMP) regime is essential to safeguard competition. MVNO Europe calls for the express ability to apply SMP rules to any markets, including mobile markets, as it is vital to prevent abuse of dominant market positions and ensure effective competition.
2. Preserving national authorities’ powers to mandate wholesale access when granting spectrum licences is crucial to ensure diversity, promote innovation and ensure efficient use of public resources.
3. Enabling all MVNOs (B2B and B2C) to efficiently operate EU-wide without being subject to discrimination on the wholesale market. Thus, the DNA should reinforce Art. 52 EECC regarding the abilities of national regulatory authorities to generally impose non-discriminatory wholesale access obligations during frequency allocations.

Looking ahead, MVNO Europe calls on the DNA to deliver meaningful change. The new framework must take decisive steps to complete a genuine Single Market, particularly for Machine-to-Machine (M2M), IoT and Connected Vehicle services. This means removing the barriers that still hinder seamless cross-border operations and enabling pan-European actors to thrive.

To achieve this, MVNO Europe calls on the European Commission to integrate the following measures into the forthcoming framework:

1. Introduce clear definitions for M2M, IoT and Connected Vehicles to eliminate regulatory ambiguities and ensure consistent implementation across Member States.
2. Establish an explicit obligation for visited Mobile Network Operators to permit permanent roaming for industrial, IoT, M2M, and Connected Vehicles use cases to deliver on the promise of a Single Market, bolster European industrial competitiveness and reinforce the EU’s digital sovereignty.
3. Guarantee industrial IoT, M2M and connected vehicles can connect to more than one mobile radio access network through dynamic switching to foster resilience, service continuity and competitive choice.

MVNO Europe believes that M2M, IoT and Connected Vehicle services represent a tangible opportunity for the EU to achieve a real Single Market and calls on the European Commission to seize this moment with ambition and clarity.

MVNOs already operate successfully within (B2C-MVNOs) and across (B2B-MVNOs) Member States, contributing to innovation, choice and market diversity, and they expect to continue doing so under improved and fairer conditions following the adoption of the Digital Networks Act.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251119128202/en/