EU seeks fast broadband roll-out with telecoms reform

Brussels

THE European Union aims to spur the roll-out of fast broadband across the 28-nation bloc by relaxing rules that force telecom companies to open up their networks to competitors.

Under planned reforms of the sector, national telecoms regulators will be required to take into account existing commercial agreements between operators when deciding whether to force them to allow competitors access to their networks, according to a document seen by Reuters.

Fostering investment in new fibre-optic networks, to meet rising demand for data services, is a major plank of the European Commission's r…