Brussels, Belgium – June 24, 2026 – The undersigned organisations representing the European connectivity ecosystem – including fibre operators, ISPs, semiconductors, hardware and software manufacturers, online pharmacies, tourism, and consumer electronics retail –  and fully committed to strengthening Europe’s digital infrastructure, welcome the European Commission’s proposal for a Digital Networks Act (DNA).¹ However, we note that, in its current form, the proposal does not sufficiently recognise the critical role of Wi-Fi® as a key enabler of European connectivity.

Without adequately prioritising Wi-Fi as a key enabler of the 2030 Digital Decade targets – including gigabit-capable connectivity for all European households, full 5G coverage of populated areas, and ensuring that 90% of SMEs reach at least a basic level of digital intensity² – achieving these objectives will become significantly more difficult, ultimately undermining Europe’s broader digital ambitions.

Wi-Fi is an integral part of the EU’s connectivity ecosystem

Fibre (FTTH), mobile, satellite, and Wi-Fi must be recognised as complementary and interdependent layers of Europe’s connectivity ecosystem. While each technology plays a distinct role in enabling high-performance networks, Wi-Fi serves as the critical final link that ensures gigabit connectivity effectively reaches end users across homes, businesses, public services and industrial environments. Therefore, as full-fibre transition is completed, Wi-Fi performance will become a critical factor in delivering the end-user experience and the full benefits of next-generation broadband connectivity. Indeed, for most Europeans, Wi-Fi is the primary gateway to the internet, delivering Gigabit connectivity from the network termination point to end-user devices where connectivity is consumed.  Today, Wi-Fi carries over 90% of indoor internet traffic across homes, hospitals, businesses, public services and industrial environments. It is also a foundational technology that SMEs and industries rely on for edge computing, automation, robotics and AI-driven applications.³ Beyond industry, advanced Wi-Fi connectivity is increasingly essential to Europe’s travel and visitor economy, underpinning digital and AI-driven services across smart destinations, cultural heritage sites and tourism SMEs — making it a key enabler of innovation and competitiveness across the full breadth of the European economy.

Targeted recommendations for the DNA

Current spectrum policy highlights the need for the DNA framework to effectively recognise the critical role of Wi-Fi connectivity. Insufficient access to spectrum is increasingly constraining Wi-Fi performance and thereby impedes implementation of advanced use cases. Recent studies indicate that growing Wi-Fi traffic congestion is limiting the ability of gigabit connectivity to effectively reach more than 50-60% of indoor environments.⁴ Europe is falling behind. Leading economies such as the United States, Canada and South Korea have already opened the entire 6 GHz band for Wi-Fi use, accelerating innovation in immersive education, healthcare services, smart manufacturing, and sustainable technology. ⁵This is not merely a spectrum policy debate, but a strategic policy choice with significant implications for Europe’s technological sovereignty, industrial competitiveness, technological leadership, and long-term innovation capacity.⁶

In this context, to ensure that the DNA fully reflects the role of Wi-Fi as a strategic component of Europe’s connectivity infrastructure, we urge the co-legislators to address the following elements in the proposal:

The DNA represents a unique opportunity to establish a forward-looking and technologically balanced policy framework that will effectively guide Europe towards the Digital Decade objectives. Such a framework should accurately reflect the evolving connectivity landscape and ensure that integral components of the connectivity ecosystem, including Wi-Fi, are recognised and prioritised as strategic elements of Europe’s digital infrastructure.

Signatories

The signatories to this statement represent a broad cross-section of hundreds of European and global connectivity players, including internet service providers, fibre network providers and operators, hardware and software manufacturers, semiconductor manufacturers, consumer electronics retail, online pharmacies, tourism innovation, and global industry associations focused on spectrum-sharing, advancing Wi-Fi and wireless broadband connectivity.