Over 2009 to 2014, the European telecommunications industry was the only region in the world that did not grow, meaning the area is badly in need of some reforms. Severe fragmentation plagues the industry in Europe as each European country has typically 3 to 4 companies. Tie this in with inconsistent regulation, and generally each telecom environment vastly varies by region. Consolidation is a key trend to follow in the industry at the moment, but only happens inside of each country's borders. Legislation changes are needed in order to approve larger M&A in the telecoms industry in Europe. It may take some time, but the efforts are visible for a unified telecommunications space in Europe.