Connect Europe urges EU to change Digital Networks Act

TL;DR: European telecom CEOs, through Connect Europe, published an open letter on September 15, 2026 calling on EU policymakers to change course on the proposed Digital Networks Act. The letter asks for stronger investment incentives, less regulation and bureaucracy, and opposes a regulatory-led approach to copper switch-off. The same regional roundup also reported Openreach's claim that AI tools cut cancelled full-fiber orders by 3,000 a month and Freshwave's estimate that poor indoor mobile coverage costs the UK economy £103 billion a year.

Connect Europe said on September 15, 2026 that European telecom CEOs had sent an open letter urging EU policymakers to make a "course correction" on the proposed Digital Networks Act. The letter says the current proposal does not materially improve investment and innovation conditions for connectivity and calls for measures to incentivize investment while reducing regulation and bureaucracy.

The letter specifically criticizes what it describes as a top-down EU approach to copper switch-off. The CEOs said the transition to fibre should be driven by deployment conditions, consumer choice, and market demand rather than by regulatory command. Connect Europe members named in the report include Deutsche Telekom, Telefónica, and Orange.

Openreach said its new AI tools have reduced cancelled full-fiber orders by 3,000 per month. The BT network access arm said its "Crystal Ball" tool predicts what will happen next when an installation encounters a problem, while "Ask Me Anything" lets customers ask questions in their own words and receive immediate answers.

Freshwave said poor indoor mobile connectivity could be costing the UK economy £103 billion, or US$139 billion, each year. Its 2026 Mobile Connectivity ROI Index surveyed 900 C-suite and IT decision-makers across the UK's public and private sectors, and found that about 23% of senior management rated their indoor 4G or 5G coverage as average or poor.