Alphabet’s Google, Meta Platforms, Netflix, Microsoft and Amazon are set to avoid stringent new obligations in the European Union’s forthcoming overhaul of telecoms regulation, according to people with direct knowledge of the draft plans reported by Reuters.

The European Commission’s revamp, known as the Digital Networks Act, is aimed at boosting competitiveness and investment in telecoms infrastructure across the bloc. EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen is due to present the proposals on 20 January, after which negotiations with EU countries and the European Parliament will begin before the measure can become law.

Rather than imposing binding requirements on large internet platforms, the draft envisions a voluntary cooperation framework facilitated by the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC), the sources told Reuters. “They will be asked to cooperate and discuss voluntarily, moderated by EU telecoms regulators’ group BEREC. There will be no new obligations. It will be a best practices regime,” one of the people said.

The approach is likely to disappoint major European telecoms operators that have pushed for mandatory contributions from big tech companies towards network costs, particularly as data traffic continues to rise. The Commission has consistently rejected suggestions from Washington that recent EU tech rules unfairly target US groups.

Beyond platform oversight, the Digital Networks Act would give the Commission a stronger role in shaping how spectrum is licensed and auctioned. Reuters reported that the draft sets out guidance on licence duration, conditions for spectrum sales and a pricing methodology for national auctions, which can raise billions of euros for governments. While the stated goal is to harmonise allocation across the 27-country bloc and reduce regulatory burden on telecoms providers, some national regulators could view the changes as a centralising move.

The proposals also address fixed-line upgrades. Guidance to national authorities on fibre rollout would be designed to help the EU meet its digital targets and narrow the gap with the US and China. Governments would be allowed to extend the 2030 deadline for replacing copper networks with fibre if they can demonstrate they are not ready, according to the sources.

The draft package will face months of debate and potential amendments in Brussels. For now, the balance appears to favour a collaborative model for large platforms, while tightening coordination over spectrum and infrastructure decisions across the EU, Reuters said.

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