Supply chain accountability: a priority for Europe’s cybersecurity policy

By Paolo Grassia, Director of Policy Affairs, ETNO

It is not an understatement to say that the SolarWinds hack is, in Microsoft President Brad Smith’s words, “the largest and most sophisticated attack the world has ever seen”. At least 18.000 customers of software company SolarWinds were affected by a backdoor that allowed state-sponsored hackers to compromise U.S. government agencies, leading technology firms, and other notable targets worldwide. The full extent of the hacking campaign is still being investigated, and its consequences are still unravelling.

ePrivacy: European telcos support a strong alignment with GDPR

This statement has been released by ETNO and by the GSMA

Brussels, 10 February 2021 – Europe’s telecommunication industry is fully committed to the principle of confidential communications and supports the Continent’s ambition to lead the data economy. European citizens deserve access to digital services that are trustworthy and based on European values.

The telecommunications sector recognises the significant efforts undertaken by the Portuguese Presidency, which led to an agreement at this week’s COREPER. The introduction of the principle of compatible further processing of metadata, and of the risk-based approach, are important steps in the right direction when it comes to aligning the ePrivacy with the GDPR.

A telecoms viewpoint on the EU-U.K. agreement

ETNO welcomes the achievement of the EU-U.K. Trade and Cooperation Agreement. An agreement on the future relationship between the U.K. and the European Union is of great importance to ETNO members and the whole telecommunication industry. Telecom network operators active in the U.K. are pan-European operators. Furthermore, in a time of deep transformations for telecommunications and digital markets overall, the EU and U.K. remain intrinsically connected as they face the same challenges and opportunities.

New Report: Europe behind on key digital metrics, telcos essential to achieve leadership

Brussels, 29 January 2021 – At a time in which the EU is striving for digital sovereignty, fresh data shows that Europe is trailing global peers on key network roll-out and digital investment metrics, including on 5G, AI and network investment. Despite this, Europe shows progress with respect to last year, with more people covered by 5G, innovative services on the rise and the green transition picking up speed. These are some of the key findings of the 2021 “State of Digital Communications” Report, launched today by ETNO, Europe’s leading telecoms association, and prepared by leading research firm Analysys Mason.

Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act: Statement of the European telecoms industry

Brussels, 15 December 2020 – The European telecommunications industry welcomes today’s announcements by the European Commission. We are optimistic that the EU can set the global standard for competitive, non-discriminatory, responsible and fair digital markets with today’s publication of the Digital Services Act (DSA) and Digital Markets Act (DMA). The European Union has a leadership opportunity to address problematic digital platform markets while making our societies more inclusive, with benefits for European citizens and companies of all sizes.

EU telcos: international connectivity can be a booster for Europe’s digital leadership

Brussels, 10 December 2020 – ETNO, the Association representing Europe’s leading telecom operators, welcomes the renewed focus on international connectivity, as per today’s announcement by Minister Pedro Nuno Santos at the Telecommunications Council, in the context of the upcoming Portuguese Presidency of the EU.

The Telecom Social Dialogue Committee Joint Declaration on Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence: a blueprint for unions and telecom companies

Technology and digital innovation have drastically transformed work and employment in unprecedented ways. Though they are not new as such, AI technologies have gained new momentum and, together with big data and robotics, they have rapidly evolved and changed the way we work. These technologies are expected to significantly impact the labour market of the future, particularly as traditional jobs and tasks transform or disappear, and new ones emerge.

In defence of the multistakeholder model

By Ross Creelman, Public Policy Officer, ETNO

Seventy-five years of the United Nations, fifteen years of the Internet Governance Forum… plenty of reason to celebrate, but this year, it all had to happen virtually. In the shadow of a global pandemic, we all retreated to our homes, leaving offices, conference centres, airports empty. But perhaps this, bizarrely, is the strongest case for an open internet, powered by global standards and protocols and – crucially – with everyone around the table.

Delivering A Green And Digital Recovery Through Connectivity

Summary & main takeaways

Lise Fuhr, ETNO Director General pointed that there can be no green transition without digitalisation, while digitalisation cannot happen unless it is green. She also highlighted that companies are striving to eliminate their own carbon footprint, but also working to enable their clients to do the same. This is why telcos ecological challenge is so important: it is not just about their green transition, but about making wider ecosystems more sustainable.