Brussels, 14/11/2013 (Agence Europe) - Incumbent telecoms operators forming the European telecommunications network operators' association (ETNO) said what is needed is a winning strategy that generates long-term benefits for both consumers and operators. ETNO members adopted key priorities for 2014 during their last general assembly held in Oslo last week. Once again, ETNO underlines how urgent it is to adopt an effective strategy to promote the European digital sector.
On the basis of conclusions reached by the last European Council, which called for a true single digital market to be set in place, ETNO urges the European institutions to develop an effective strategy capable of making the European Union a world leader in the digital race. Incumbent operators deplore the fact that their profits have slumped: €273.8 billion in 2012, i.e. a fall of 1.8% compared to the figure notched up in 2011. In the United States, on the other hand, the industry recorded an increase in revenue of 2.5% between 2011 and 2012. ETNO denounces this situation as operators are the leading investors for new generation networks. The European Union must adopt an adequate framework in order to reverse the situation, by: 1) gradually deregulating a sector that has become competitive; 2) creating an open internet model that guarantees innovation and consumer choice; 3) introducing greater flexibility in order to achieve an efficient market structure; and 4) supporting European innovation by incentives to entrepreneurship. ETNO Executive Board Chair Luigi Gambardella said: “ETNO has been working very actively with EU institutions to have the right rules in place in order for the European telecom market to begin a new phase of growth. Some good steps have been taken in the direction of more regulatory certainty, notably in terms of long term stability of wholesale access prices. However, more needs to be done for the creation of a level playing field for all actors in the ICT value chain and to meet the need for further deregulation of the sector as markets become competitive”. (IL/transl.jl)