European Commission Considers New Telecom Rules to Level the Playing Field

The European Union is weighing an overhaul of its telecommunications rules that could give incumbent operators like Deutsche Telekom AG an edge over upstart challengers like Iliad SA of France and messaging service WhatsApp.

The EU proposals -- due to be completed by May -- are part of an ambitious strategy to create a single digital market across the 28-country bloc by breaking down national silos in areas like e-commerce and copyright law. The European Commission, the bloc’s executive arm, said that as part of the plan, it would review existing EU telecom and media rules “to encourage investment in infrastructure.” The rules should be made “fit for new challenges,” particularly with regard to “the increasing number of voice calls made over the Internet and new players in the field,” the commission said.