BEREC Report on Member States’ best practices to support the defining of adequate broadband internet access service

In 2020, BEREC published the first report on Member States’ best practices to support the defining of adequate broadband internet access service (document reference BoR (20) 99). Article 84(3) of the EECC states that the report shall be updated regularly to reflect technological advances and changes in consumer usage patterns. The minimum set of services which the adequate broadband internet access service must be at least capable of supporting are outlined in Annex V of the EECC.
The report covers the following:
• The policy principle - Article 84 of the Directive (EU) 2018/1972;
• Relevant experience that BEREC can focus on;
• State of play of the definition of adequate broadband in the context of universal service (definition, methodology used in defining the adequate broadband internet access service, obligations, funding, monitoring, and compliance);
• Challenges indicated by MSs;
• Conclusions.

Recent developments and increasing needs by end-users for adequate broadband internet access service, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic (i.e., challenge for digitalization of healthcare etc.) indicate that the minimum set of services, to be enjoyed by the majority of end-users set out in Annex V of the EECC should be further carefully assessed.
This report was a subject to public consultation in October-November 2023.
This report is a best practices report, and it does not aim to provide formal universal service implementation guidance in respect of the EECC. According to Article 84 of the EECC, it is for the MS, taking into account this BEREC report on best practices, to define adequate broadband internet access in light of national conditions and the minimum bandwidth enjoyed by the majority of consumers within a MS territory to ensure an adequate level of social inclusion and participation in the digital economy and society in the MS territory.