By Foo Yun Chee

BRUSSELS, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Orange ORAN.PA, Telefonica TEF.MC and other top European telecoms operators on Thursday called for deregulation to help them boost competitiveness and put them on an even footing with Big Tech, which they say faces a lighter regulatory regime.

The call comes amid industry hopes that the new European Commission, which took office this month, will be more business-friendly and take measures to help European companies better compete with Chinese and American rivals.

"We really need to change the direction in the next 12 months. That's the golden opportunity, the window that we now have with the new Commission," Telefonica Chief Executive Jose María Alvarez Pallete told a conference.

He said Telefonica was regulated as an incumbent even though it is no longer one.

"The first thing is to acknowledge that we have a problem and that we are not being regulated in the right manner," Alvarez Pallette said.

Chief executives have even debated light-heartedly about going on strike, underscoring their frustration at the challenges facing them, Orange CEO Christel Heydemann told the conference.

The two, together with 16 other telecoms chief executives, wrote a joint letter to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera, EU tech chief Henna Virkkunnen and EU industry chief Stephane Sejourne on Thursday setting out their concerns.

"All citizens must have access to gigabit networks and telecoms should become again a growth-oriented sector. This necessitates an urgent reform of the current regulatory framework with the upcoming DNA (Digital Networks Act), aiming in general for a shift from ex-ante to ex-post control," they said.

The Commission plans to propose a Digital Networks Act next year to boost the European Union's digital infrastructure network.

The companies also called for a revamp of EU merger rules when it comes to consolidation in the sector.

"The current approach, which does not adequately take into account long-term efficiencies such as investment strength, weakens our ability to compete with global players and to deliver connectivity to all Europeans," they said.

Signatories to the letter included Deutsche Telekom DTEGn.DE, TIM TLIT.MI, BT Group BT.L, Liberty Global LBTYA.O and KPN KPN.AS.

(Reporting by Foo Yun CheeEditing by Mark Potter)

((foo.yunchee@thomsonreuters.com; +32 2 585 2866; Reuters Messaging: foo.yunchee.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))