In recent years, the role of the electronic communications sector as a catalyst for the digital economy has grown considerably. This means that the sector must contribute to meeting the growing demand of users and their socio-economic needs.
A legal framework conducive to barrier-free connectivity within the internal market, while promoting competition and end-user choice, is needed.
Since the early stages of the liberalisation of the telecommunications sector, the national legal framework has been largely based on European rules. These rules, brought together in a set of texts formerly known as the "telecoms package", have undergone a major reform with the adoption of Directive (EU) 2018/1972 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 establishing the European Electronic Communications Code. This directive is intended to stimulate investment and strengthen the internal market as well as consumer rights, and was transposed by the law of 17 December 2021, which modernises electronic communications legislation. In particular, the 2021 law aims to
- stimulate investment in infrastructure;
- facilitate the rollout of new very high-speed networks, by promoting sustainable competition in the interests of consumers;
- encourage the rollout of 5G networks, by ensuring the availability of 5G radio frequencies and offering operators predictability in spectrum licensing, in particular through better coordination of radio frequency allocation forecasts;
- ensure a high level of consumer protection by encouraging transparent pricing and the comparison of contractual offers.
The Luxembourg Regulatory Institute (ILR) is the independent national regulatory authority for electronic communications. Its remit includes general supervision of the electronic communications market, implementing regulatory decisions following market analyses, monitoring the public register of notified undertakings, managing the numbering plan, ensuring that consumer rights are respected and monitoring the security and integrity of networks and services.