Vilnius: The Digital Networks Act has reached its political phase in the European Parliament, and the draft report by rapporteur Michał Kobosko is already dividing telecoms operators, content providers and digital rights groups. The Commission proposed the Digital Networks Act on 21 January 2026, and the Parliament’s industry committee ITRE is due to hear the rapporteur on 10 November 2026.

Two sources shape the picture, and neither is official. On 21 October, the Financial Times reported that Kobosko wants stronger sovereignty and resilience criteria for pan-European mobile spectrum licences, a stance linked to concern about SpaceX expanding into mobile connectivity. The report was based on an interview and a draft that the author had not seen in public. On 3 November, the Internet Society published a blog post that criticises the draft.

The Internet Society says the draft would advance network usage fees, often called fair share payments, and would weaken net neutrality. It cites a new category of significant traffic provider for any company that delivers at least 2 percent of peak traffic to EU users. It also cites a binding decision by the national regulator if interconnection talks fail, and a proposal to add content delivery networks to the definition of an electronic communications network.

The post also calls for the deletion of Articles 191 to 193 of the Digital Networks Act. It points to a 2026 finding by BEREC, the body of European telecoms regulators, that the telecom sector is financially healthy, and to a joint statement from more than 40 organisations in June. These claims come from an advocacy group, and I could not verify the draft’s text, so readers should treat them as one side’s reading.

Operators see the issue differently. Telecoms companies have long argued that large traffic generators should help pay for networks, and a defined category of significant traffic provider would give that argument a legal basis. Critics answer that such payments would turn gatekeepers into toll collectors and raise costs for smaller services. The Digital Networks Act is therefore as much a fight over who pays as a technical reform.

The timetable is short. According to the Internet Society, the deadline for committee amendments is 12 November, two days after the presentation. Those dates are scheduled, not done, and I found no confirmation on a Parliament page. The Parliament’s legislative file, procedure 2026/0013(COD), was listed as awaiting a committee decision, and the Council has not confirmed its own position.

The next fortnight will show whether the Digital Networks Act keeps its focus on spectrum, investment and simpler rules, or whether the network fee fight takes over. Amendments from the main political groups will reveal how much support exists for the traffic provider idea. That outcome will decide whether the Digital Networks Act strengthens Europe’s connectivity or splits the committee.