Telecoms executives call for overhaul of European regulation

Telefonica's Chairman and CEO Jose Maria Alvarez-Pallete speaks during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain, June 28, 2021. REUTERS/Nacho Doce

BARCELONA (Reuters) - Top telecoms executives called for a total overhaul of Europe's regulatory framework on Monday, using the platform of the Mobile World Congress to amplify their demands for unified oversight across the 27-nation bloc.

"The European regulatory framework is totally outdated," Telefonica CEO Jose-Maria Alvarez-Pallete told the opening keynote session of the industry's top annual gathering. "Regulation today is based on the networks of the previous century."