Findings from the PTS in Sweden contradict some of those drawn by the EC, challenging the idea that the US telecoms market is a much more profitable place to invest
Spectrum: Annual licence fees to be reviewed in the UK
While Ofcom will only review the amount charged rather than the regime itself, the EU is considering broader changes to spectrum management practices
Fines for failing fraud protections
As some regulators place a greater emphasis on facilitating switching between providers, protections against SIM swapping and similar scams will be all the more important
Germany: Long-awaited restrictions on Huawei and ZTE
Mobile operators have agreed to phase out the firms from their 5G networks, with almost 20 other countries already having imposed restrictions on equipment vendors
Regulating deceptive digital design
Despite the FTC’s aim to lead the regulatory debate on so-called ‘dark patterns’, the EU’s recent legislative efforts have already outlawed the practices in a range of contexts
EU: State of the Digital Decade (second report)
The EC has issued a wake-up call to Member States, with many not currently making sufficient progress to meet key 2030 connectivity targets
Portugal: Vodafone/Nowo merger blocked
Despite being inline with the preliminary view, there is still a chance the AdC’s decision could be appealed directly to the Minister of Economy, although this mechanism has only been invoked (successfully) once before
EC: Protecting competition in a changing world
DG COMP research shows that mobile prices in the EU are consistently lower than in the US, but that consolidation tends to increase prices and may not deliver greater investment
Event debrief: Fixing the Information Crisis
Despite its journalism-centric billing, the conference offered a range of discussions on how to update the regulation of US communications markets
UK: Vodafone and Virgin Media O2 extend network sharing agreement
Together with a balancing of spectrum across industry, the announcement boosts the chances of a Three/Vodafone merger
