Some capitals are also worried their own national champions might be the target of a takeover by a bigger European rival. “Operators of all sizes should have business opportunities in the single market and be able to benefit from and contribute to effective competition,” the document reads.
Back off, Mario
Draghi didn’t exactly win over governments with a call for member countries to cede some ground on spectrum, which is the bandwidth of airwaves over which mobile data travels.
Dubbed a “cash cow,” licenses for operators to use the airwaves are sold by governments for billions of euros. Draghi’s report called for harmonizing licensing rules and timelines, giving a bigger watchdog role to the EU executive.
That idea, too, got the cold shoulder from capitals.
“Spectrum harmonization is not the favorite topic of member countries,” said Katalin Molnár, the ambassador for Hungary, who currently chairs talks between EU governments.
The national capitals in their document insisted that managing radio frequencies is “a key public policy tool,” stressing “the sustained significance of Member States’ national competencies in that regard.”
