ecta agrees with the Commission when it states that: “digital technologies play an increasingly prominent role in social, economic, and political life worldwide, Europe’s digitalisation is essential for its prosperity, as long as it is human-centric and respects our common EU values and the rights, dignity and integrity of the individual." ecta strongly believes that a diversified electronic communications sector allowing a variety of market participants (large and small) to offer a diversity of services and products is a prerequisite to unleash the innovation potential resulting from the digitization of the EU economy. This is all the more necessary to meet the needs of businesses and public administrations. Indeed, history has proven that the fear for cannibalisation of existing business models seriously impedes well vested companies from innovating. The current technology companies were all founded comparatively recently by an entrepreneur, and none is the result of a well-established company. Several major alternative operators represented by ecta were also founded by individual entrepreneurs, seizing the opportunities created by the opening of the EU telecommunications market to competition.

ecta recalls that when it comes to infrastructure, the EU model has been a great success. With respect to other non-EU OECD countries (i.e. US and Canada), the EU model resulted in much better outcomes, both in terms of VHCN deployment as regards VHCN take-up. The EU model ensures to EU consumers and businesses affordable, inclusive and innovative VHCN service offers by multiple operators, among them, many ecta members. Some of those ecta members have been and remain front runners, in terms of both investment and the adoption of new technologies and business models, making profitable business across Europe and brining innovation to the market by relying on those technologies.

The merit based competition in Europe, ensured through a correct and proportionate ex ante regulation with principles enshrined in the EECC, and imposed only where needed (i.e. on the undertakings that hold significant market power in the relevant markets, meticulously defined by the National Regulatory Authorities - NRAs, often by defining geographic markets/remedies) has been key in ensuring the positive outcomes of the EU model for consumers, businesses and public administrations.