Vodafone urges EU to change Digital Networks Act rules

TL;DR: Vodafone Group said the European Union's forthcoming Digital Networks Act could preserve regulatory differences between telecom operators and over-the-top (OTT) digital services. Vodafone asked for an explicit "functional-equivalent principle" so regulators can apply similar rules to services that perform similar functions.

Vodafone Group said the forthcoming European Union Digital Networks Act could lock in outdated rules that favor OTT services over traditional telecom operators. The company said operators face requirements that OTT services and digital platforms do not, despite consumers using both for similar communications functions.

Vodafone cited emergency service connectivity, open and resilient internet access, fraud prevention, customer verification, quality of service, security, and dispute handling as areas where operators face stricter obligations. Vodafone said telecom operators are held to higher standards for internet resilience even as cloud providers, content delivery networks, and large platforms play a growing role without equivalent oversight.

Vodafone proposed that the Digital Networks Act include an explicit functional-equivalent principle. Vodafone said the current distinction between communications services that use a telephone number and those that do not no longer reflects user experience or market conditions, and argued that fraud and internet access rules should also apply to cloud platforms, content delivery systems, and messaging services.

Related questions

• What changes does Vodafone want in the EU Digital Networks Act?
• Which regulatory obligations does Vodafone say apply unevenly between operators and OTT services?
• Why does Vodafone want fraud and internet access rules extended to cloud and messaging platforms?