Madrid hosted last week a meeting organized by the technology employers' association AMETIC, in collaboration with Demócrata, to analyze the challenges and opportunities of the future Digital Networks Law, at a time marked by investment pressure in infrastructure, technological transformation, and growing global competition. The event was structured around institutional interventions and a multisectoral debate panel moderated by Adrián Lardiez, director of Parliamentary Information at Demócrata.
A multisectoral debate
The event began with the welcome and speeches by Francisco Hortigüela, president of AMETIC, and Matías González, secretary general of Telecommunications, Digital Infrastructures and Digital Security. Next, a debate was held with representatives from the Government, business associations, user organizations and civil society, with the aim of analyzing the impact of future regulations on the European digital ecosystem.
Among the participants, companies integrated into AMETIC stood out, associations such as SpainDC, AEVI or CECA; as well as consumer organizations like OCU and user associations like AUTELSI. From the telecommunications sector, entities such as DigitalES or the Official College of Telecommunications Engineers (COIT) also participated.
A regulation that must adapt to an increasingly complex and interconnected ecosystem
One of the main consensuses of the meeting was the need to adapt regulation to an increasingly complex and interconnected technological reality.
The participants agreed that connectivity can no longer be addressed solely from the traditional scope of telecommunications, but includes infrastructures and services such as data centers, cloud, submarine cables, private networks, digital platforms, or video games.
In this context, the importance of precisely defining the regulatory borders was underlined in order to avoid the indiscriminate extension of telecommunications regulation to infrastructures and services of a different nature, without prejudice to the objectives of network security and resilience.
Balance between investment, competition, and user rights
Another of the axes of the debate was the balance between the need for investment in networks and the protection of competition and users.
The sector demanded clear rules that facilitate investment, but without compromising principles such as net neutrality, open access to the Internet, or effective competition.
Likewise, a warning was issued about the risk of introducing possible disproportionate regulatory burdens or elements of uncertainty that could be passed on to the end user.
The participants agreed that regulatory simplification is desirable, but it should not translate into less consumer protection or legal uncertainty.
Spain claims its weight in the European debate
The third major block of the debate was Spain's role in the future configuration of the European framework. Some participants warned that the Digital Networks Law is not just a regulatory issue, but also an industrial one, and that the harmonization of the single market must avoid diluting national competitive advantages built over years of investment.
In this regard, it was highlighted that Spain starts from a solid position in the European debate thanks to its advanced fiber network, its capacity in renewable energies, its strategic location, and the growth of its data center ecosystem.
In relation to the radio spectrum, the participants underlined the need to preserve a margin of national decision, given its relevance for areas such as security, emergency management, audiovisual services, and territorial coverage.
A key law for the European digital future
As a conclusion, the meeting highlighted that Europe needs to strengthen its digital networks, but also to provide itself with a balanced, technologically neutral regulatory framework that is sufficiently flexible so as not to hinder innovation.
The future Digital Networks Law opens, according to attendees, a complex but essential debate, in which Spain aspires to play an active role by relying on its experience, technological capacity, and strategic positioning.
Legal certainty, technological neutrality, investment, competition, and an open Internet are emerging as the pillars on which the new European regulation should be built. In this context, the debate on the so-called fair contribution remains open and requires a deep analysis of its market impact. The consensus points to prioritizing voluntary commercial solutions, preserving effective competition, and avoiding mechanisms that introduce rigidity or uncertainty for operators and users.
Ultimately, there is broad consensus on the need to adapt the future Digital Networks Law to an ecosystem in constant evolution, through clear regulation aligned with technological reality. The objective is to boost investment, strengthen network resilience and strengthen European competitiveness without hindering innovation.