19 April, 2016

Press Release - Digital industrial leadership: telcos welcome new strategic approach

ETNO, the Association representing Europe’s leading telecom operators, has welcomed today the European Commission plans on “A European strategy for digital industrial leadership within a Digital Single Market”. These comprehensive, future-oriented plans include also communications on cloud, ICT standards, as well as IoT and digital government.

More than just a “digital” policy

Today’s communications set a milestone in the approach to ICT policymaking, by recognising that digital is re-shaping the approach to industrial policies as a whole.

At a time in which technological and market developments are profoundly changing production processes, we need to focus on how a broad range of sectors can tap into the digital re-industrialisation opportunity. This can ultimately provide better services and new job opportunities for European citizens.

Powerful broadband is the cornerstone

Telecom operators will have a crucial role to play in deploying powerful broadband networks and providing advanced digital services, with a view to address new data-intensive and innovation-centric requirements.

The on-going upgrades to our networks, the investment in new networks and the work towards launching 5G are the pre-requisite to Europe’s digital industrial leadership.

In this context, the reform of the current Telecoms Framework, as well as the harmonisation of spectrum policy, will prove fundamental in removing barriers to telecoms investment and to innovation.

The role of data and cloud

As Europe gears-up to fill gap in high performance computing, this initiative of the European Commission can help scientists, industry and public authorities to access world-class data infrastructures and cloud-based services as they become the key factors for success in the digital economy.

A European Cloud Initiative should support every research centre, every research project and every researcher in Europe to access the world-class supercomputing, data storage and analysis capacity which they need to succeed in today’s global, data-driven innovation ecosystem.

Steven Tas, Chairman of ETNO, said: “In just a few years, digitalisation can add fresh job and growth opportunities for Europeans. Getting broadband investment and service innovation right is the pre-requisite”.