Proposals from the European Commission (EC) on fibre access networks could limit the amount of choice offered to consumers by broadband suppliers.

That is according to the European Competitive Telecommunications Association (ECTA), which suggested that recommendations for next-generation broadband access could undermine competition in the industry.

The EC has proposed that incumbent providers make a deal with just one operator when it comes to installing fibre-optic broadband infrastructure.

However, Innocenzo Genna, Chairman of the ECTA, said: "Dominant firms … have lobbied the Commission at the highest level to relax EU regulatory rules, but that is even more reason for [it] to remain robust.

He suggested that if a number of investors operated in next-generation broadband together, they could all share the rewards.

Last month, the ECTA suggested that universal broadband access across the whole of the EU is key to ensuring "growth and innovation" in the telecoms sectors of member states including the UK.