European Union policy on 5G: Context, scope and limits

Margarita Robles-Carrillo

Telecommunications Policy, 2021, vol. 45, issue 8

Abstract: 5G is considered a key technology for society but its implementation is currently surrounded by controversy. Beyond its technical aspects, 5G has become a question of security and national interest for many States as well as an international policy issue. Technological autonomy and digital sovereignty are increasingly recognised as strategic priorities on a global scale. In this context, the EU's position is unique, basically for two reasons. On the one hand, the EU has unintentionally become part of the playing field in the US-China dispute over technology companies and 5G. On the other hand, any policy of the EU or its Member States is constrained by the nature of 5G as an area of either European or national competence. The delimitation of their competences is not clear, just as there is no transparent and understandable distinction of their 5G responsibilities. In order to clarify this situation, a comprehensive analysis of the European competence and legal frameworks is necessary. After that, the study of the evolution process of this European policy provides an overview of its scope and limits. Finally, the paper explains the procedures and instruments of this European policy and concludes by assessing its implementation and development prospects. The possibility of reaching technological autonomy and digital sovereignty for the EU and its member states depends, for the time being, on this European policy.

Keywords: 5G; European Union; Member states; Policies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308596121001208
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:telpol:v:45:y:2021:i:8:s0308596121001208

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/30471/bibliographic
http://www.elsevier. ... /30471/bibliographic

DOI: 10.1016/j.telpol.2021.102216

Access Statistics for this article

Telecommunications Policy is currently edited by Erik Bohlin

More articles in Telecommunications Policy from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().