“SOS – Save Our Spectrum” will be in Brussels on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, when EU Tech Chief Henna Virkkunen presents the draft of the
Digital Networks Act (DNA). The following proposals regarding frequency allocation have already been leaked:
– Frequency allocation is to be harmonized across Europe.
– In the future, frequencies will no longer be allocated for a limited period, but for an indefinite period, subject to the principle of “use it or share it or lose it” and special rollout agreements.
A draft of the DNA available to SOS – Save Our Spectrum states: “Frequency usage rights should generally be granted for an unlimited period…. Sufficiently long terms for radio frequency usage rights should increase investment predictability, contributing to faster network exploitation and better services, as well as stability in supporting radio frequency trading and leasing.”
Preliminary reporting by Reuters shows that national regulatory authorities perceive the Commission’s planned interventions in frequency policy and rollout guidelines as a “seizure of power.” Frequency management has always been a national competence. The EU only provides the framework.
As spokesperson for “SOS – Save Our Spectrum,” Jochen Zenthöfer explains:
“This Digital Networks Act represents the interests of large corporations and the mobile communications industry. The cultural and creative industries will be the losers. Frequency allocations should not take place centrally in Brussels, but locally, i.e. where frequencies are used. We also reject indefinite frequency allocations. The ”use-it-or-share-it-or-lose-it” rule does not change this. This rule is not new; it already applies in many EU countries today. Frequency policy must not be solely geared towards large corporations. Culture, the event industry, live events, and theater must also be taken into account!”
“SOS – Save Our Spectrum” will remind the EU Commission of the importance of the cultural and creative industries, and not just on January 20, 2026, in Brussels.
