Following years of debate and intense lobbying, a long awaited agreement has finally been reached on a proposed EU regulation on net neutrality and mobile roaming surcharges. This has its origins in the more ambitious Connected Continent Telecoms Reform Package from 2013, which also included the coordination of spectrum allocation between member states, a common definition of virtual access to next generation networks, and a single EU-wide authorisation to provide telecoms services. Much of that proved too difficult to agree, and following political stalemate during the last EU Commission, elimination of retail roaming surcharges and net neutrality is what survived.

The Commission sees this Regulation as an important step forward in the Digital Single Market, helping to ensure that Europe is a world leader in the digital economy. But the agreed text shows a desire for closure over certainty, and will leave industry uncertain when planning business models.