15 September, 2021
EU telecoms welcome 2030 Policy Programme, call for strong focus on 5G and innovation
Brussels, 15 September 2021 – ETNO, the Association representing Europe’s leading telecom operators, has today welcomed the proposal for a “2030 Policy Programme – Path to the Digital Decade” unveiled by the European Commission. As EU institutions move to advancing the proposal, EU telecom operators call for a strong prioritization of 5G investment and the development of European infrastructures and services.
In ETNO’s view, the new 2030 Policy Programme has the merit of bringing together three key innovative approaches. First, it foresees much welcomed coordination and accountability processes to help harmonise national digitalization plans. This includes also requesting more certainty on the future availability of spectrum for 5G and 6G. Second, it acknowledges that digitalization requires not only the availability of gigabit networks, but also strong demand-side policies to promote widespread uptake of digital tools. Third, it recognises the need of further collaboration among industrial players by setting up a European Digital Infrastructure Consortium (EDIC).
As the Council and the European Parliament move to analyse the proposal, ETNO calls for:
- A strong focus on the need to accelerate and facilitate private investment in gigabit networks, both in terms of spectrum availability and conditions, and in terms of incentives for fibre roll-out;
- Harmonised and clear KPIs that support ambitious supply and demand-side policies across member states, including the uptake of digital solutions across industrial sectors;
- Bold and ambitious support for collaboration within and across industries, aimed at developing EU-scale digital solutions that can compete globally.
Lise Fuhr, ETNO Director General, said: “Commissioner Breton and EVP Vestager put forward a strong digital strategy for the next Decade, which prioritizes EU investment in digitalization and innovation. We now need to ensure that regulatory action at the EU and national level is coherent with such objectives. This is crucial to accelerate the necessary digital and green transitions”.
