New rules agreed to in the European Parliament mean that hyper-fast internet on 5G networks with cheaper intra-EU phone calls could become a reality soon.

MEP Roberta Metsola welcomed the vote in the European Parliament’s Industry Committee to agree to new rules for a European Electronic Communications Code – a proposed recast directive that merges and reforms four existing telecommunications directives that were last updated in 2009.

“This is great news for consumers and for industry. The new rules would mean that businesses will be able to invest in high-speed, high-capacity networks to deliver faster internet to everyone in Europe, setting the scene for the mass roll-out of 5G technology. This is the internet of the future and the EU must be ready for it,” Dr Metsola said.

“It is also a huge step forward that MEPs agreed to regulate intra-EU calls – meaning that calls from one member state to another would soon not cost more than domestic calls unless there is a clear and direct justifiable reason,” she added.

“This vote is not the end of the road yet. We persisted and finally managed to end unjustified roaming charges; now this must be our next step and I am confident that we will get there in the coming negotiations,” Dr Metsola said.

EPP MEP Pilar Del Castillo, who will lead negotiations, said that “connectivity is the backbone of the Electronic Communications Code”. Smart cars, cities, energy, industry, banking, health, and research needed increased connectivity and wavelengths.

These challenges required regulatory treatment that ensured predictability, rewarded risk-taking, and long-term investment in very high capacity networks and supported the rapid development of 5G communications. The code was going to be a crucial tool in this respect.

Investment for very high capacity infrastructure was estimated to be in the range of €500 to €600 billion, with up to 90% of that having to be provided by the private sector. According to the European Commission, the investments triggered by the new framework could boost Europe’s GDP by an additional €910 billion and create 1.3 million new jobs over the next decade.

The next steps are that the European Parliament, European Commission and member states negotiate to hammer out the final agreement.