Brussels, 26/02/2013 (Agence Europe) - On 26 February, Commissioner Neelie Kroes, who is responsible for the digital strategy announced that the European Commission would provide €50 million of new money for research to deliver 5G mobile technology. The objective is to make Europe once again competitive on the mobile telecommunications market. The Commissioner stressed: “I want 5G be pioneered by European industry, based on European research and creating jobs in Europe - and we will put our money where our mouth is”.
Overall, from 2007 to 2013 EU investments amount to more than €700 million for research on future networks, half of which will be for wireless technologies, contributing to development of 4G and 5G. Thanks to the new financial envelope, on-going projects will benefit from additional funding. The METIS project, for example, will have an additional budget of €16 million.
By 2020 worldwide mobile traffic alone will reach a 33 times increase compared to 2010 figures. The Commission explained that in time Internet access will become dominated by wireless devices such as smartphones, tablets, machines and sensors, requiring more efficient and ubiquitous technology to carry the data traffic. No sector of the economy will escape the digital revolution. Every EU business and citizen needs to know they can enjoy easy-to-use, reliable and fast Internet on the move. This new wave of research projects promises to bring cutting-edge ultra-high-speed mobile broadband technology to the daily lives of Europeans. These include METIS, 5GNOW, iJOIN, TROPIC, Mobile Cloud Networking, COMBO, MOTO and PHYLAWS. Other players joining forces with academia and research institutes include telecom operators (British Telecom, Deutsche Telekom, France Telecom etc.), as well as major telecom manufacturers (Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson, Nokia Siemens Networks, Thales Communications), business software provider (SAP) and automotive manufacturers (BMW).
Neelie Kroes says European “5G is not an opportunity to be missed!
Although the European Union wants to develop the necessary mobile telecommunication networks for effective technology implementation in the future, investment of €27 billion will also be required on the basis of existing networks, explained the commissioner responsible for the digital agenda, Neelie Kroes, in a speech made on 26 February to the “Mobile World Congress 2013” in Barcelona. The commissioner stated that Europe was faced with an economic imperative. It had previously led the world in telecommunications but was now lagging behind both the East and West. The commissioner is aware of the challenges facing the mobile industry with regard to introducing its technology, particularly with regard to managing the fragmented radio spectrum. She is also aware of the lack of willingness on the part of European leaders to fund the European Connection Facility in Europe, which would have helped towards reaching the broadband targets. With all these considerations in mind, the commissioner is calling for a change in mindset and further research and development in the area of “5G” technology. She explained that it was in this perspective that the European Union would be providing a boost to this kind of technology (see above). The commissioner said that Europe had the funds, determination and expertise needed to succeed. (IL/trans/fl)