Brussels, 08/12/2014 (Agence Europe) - European Commission Vice-President with responsibility for the Digital Single Market Andrus Ansip has regretted that no compromise was found at the last Telecoms Council on the connected continent package (see EUROPE 11206). He is fearful that any additional delay could see the European Union lose the momentum in moving towards a digital economy.
In a speech delivered on Monday 8 December at the annual conference of European mobile operators, GSMA Mobile 360-Europe, Ansip said: “Despite the work of three successive EU Presidencies - and especially given the efforts of the last one - we are all waiting for Council to start negotiations with the European Parliament. I encourage EU ministers to intensify and complete the technical discussions so that these negotiations can start as soon as possible”, calling on the member states to be more ambitious. He was unambiguous as to ending roaming charges (“I will continue to push for an end to roaming surcharges in Europe. The reason is simple. They have no place in the telecoms and digital single markets that Europe so badly needs. They remain an irritant and an anomaly.”) and the need for an open, shared spectrum management policy (“Open spectrum is the basis for a digitally-enabled society and digital demand. Ideally, EU countries should be working together much more on allocating spectrum.”). The principle of net neutrality, a further stumbling block at the Council, needs to be “enshrined into EU law”. The member states need to agree on a common definition of net neutrality, Ansip argued, stressing that access to online content should guaranteed for all, without being blocked or throttled. “The internet is universal. We want to keep it like that.”
At the conference, GSMA announced the findings of a report on 4G in Europe, Mobile Economy: EUROPE 2014. Experts believe that Europe's rapid migration to 4G services and devices is helping to stimulate a recovery in the continent's mobile industry. 4G will account for more than half of mobile connections in the region by 2020, up from 10% in early 2015. This trend is fuelling consumer demand for a new wave of innovative mobile services, helping European operators move towards a stabilisation of revenues and margins following several years of declines in one of the world's most competitive mobile regions, the report says. It also calls for a new era of partnership between the mobile industry and EU policymakers aimed at encouraging next-generation network investment and innovation, and delivering a dynamic digital single market. “But this positive outlook for the industry remains fragile, especially in light of renewed concerns over the macro-economic situation in Europe. The industry is therefore looking forward to working with the new European Commission and Parliament to build a common agenda that enables a sustainable recovery and powers a world-leading digital economy and connected society”, commented GSMA Director General Anne Bouverot. (IL)