EWIA welcomes the Gigabit Infrastructure Act – a necessary tool to achieve the EU’s connectivity objectives
29 April 2024 | Brussels, Belgium
As the European trade association of independent wholesale wireless infrastructure providers, EWIA – the European Wireless Infrastructure Association – welcomes the adoption of the Gigabit Infrastructure Act by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU.
In order to achieve the ambitious 2030 Digital Decade connectivity targets, significant connectivity infrastructure investments and an efficient use of infrastructure are required. Independent towercos represented by EWIA enable the EU’s digital transitions by investing in and operating wireless connectivity infrastructure in a functioning and dynamic sector. As such, they do need long-term regulatory certainty as well easier and quicker administrative procedures.
The GIA is very instrumental to this end. For independent towercos, it can facilitate, accelerate, and optimise the connectivity infrastructure roll out in the EU by:
✓ Promoting the shared use of existing physical infrastructure, which enables a more efficient, sustainable, and faster deployment while lowering its cost.
✓ Promoting investment and long-term certainty by recognizing existing contracts, giving priority to commercial negotiations, and avoiding unnecessary regulation.
✓ Protecting existing infrastructures and investments needed for the Gigabit connectivity from speculative and opportunistic behaviors.
✓ Facilitating information exchange and streamlining procedures, especially permits granting.
Tobias Martinez Gimeno, EWIA’s Chairman, said: “The GIA is a concrete step towards the achievement of the Digital Decade goals. After the negotiations between EU institutions, it provides greater harmonization without creating overregulation, streamlines bureaucracy and protects those investing in the infrastructure from speculative and opportunistic behaviors.”
EWIA members look forward to the implementation of the GIA and remain committed to contributing to the achievement of the EU connectivity objectives for the benefit of the EU society and competitiveness.
About EWIA
EWIA is the European Wireless Infrastructure Association, the European trade association of independent wholesale wireless infrastructure providers. Our members invest in and operate wireless infrastructure essential to the delivery of mobile voice, wireless broadband, and other wireless networks.
EWIA is a well-established presence in Europe with nine members operating across sixteen European countries who develop, acquire and operate communication towers together with investment in the fiber-connected small cell networks in buildings and on city streets needed for 5G. Together, our members have invested and operate over €100bn of wireless infrastructure assets globally and operate a portfolio of over 150,000 assets in Europe, raising the share of independent wireless infrastructure in Europe to 35%.
EWIA advocates policies that facilitate and encourage network infrastructure investment and deployment with the goal of making advanced wireless broadband available everywhere for consumers, businesses, health care, public safety and the countless other sectors that rely on always-on wireless connections. This includes ensuring better and faster connectivity in rural areas.
