Brussels, 04/02/2003 (Agence Europe) - While the Parliament will rule, during its February session, on the report by Danielle Auroi (French Green) on third generation mobile communications (3G), the EP industry commission organised, on 29 January, a public hearing on the issue. In addition to parliamentarians representatives from academia, industry and consumer associations where present.
The European Commissioner responsible for information society Erkki Liikanen also spoke to underline the necessary character of the coexistence between existing and new technologies. He energetically called for the opening of a debate aiming to tackle issues such as a new legal framework for information society, an intensification of competition between Member States and the improvement of communications systems in a rural setting. He also stated his desire for a flexible market in terms of the allocation of frequencies and announced that he would soon present a report on joint actions in the sector of third generation mobile telephony.
Presenting the point of view of academia, Ben Benasaou (INSEAD) noted that the 3G sector will be fully operational when services are guaranteed at a reasonable price. He noted that the technology itself is not of crucial importance as the services that may be derived from it, such as, for example, wireless communications with the authorities or the transfer of data towards rural hospitals. His colleague from the INSEAD, Annabelle Gawer, underlined the importance of the interaction between software and hardware to promote the 3G sector. Raising the aspects of telecommunications affecting health, Madeleine Bastide (University of Montpellier I) drew attention to the fact that the negative effects of mobile telephones may vary from one country to another due to the different parameters used for studies. Juan Represa (Valladolid University) explained that 450 studies examining the effects induced by mobile telephones had revealed no negative effects on health. The parliamentarian Wim van Velzen (EPP-ED, Netherlands), organiser of the hearing, underlined his sorrow over the rather negative image of new technologies and wondered how the European Commission could encourage the interoperability of new products. Commissioner Liikanen confirmed that interoperability was a prior requirement to the creation of an open and functioning market.
On the industry side, Christopher Gent (Vodafone) underlined that the governments often only have the interests of consumers in mind and not those of industry. What is needed, he said, is not state aid, but government support coupled with moderate regulation by the Commission. He added that the economic crisis experienced by the communications sector could be blamed on both regulators and company executives. Anni Vepsäläinen (Telia Sonera) insisted on the aims to be achieved for 3G: greater flexibility, participation of the multimedia sector and greater user-friendliness. Mika Vehviläinen (Nokia) called for the creation of a virtual market for 3G in Europe, market which would be submitted to the principals of liberalisation, global competition and anti-trust policies. Etienne Fouques (Alcatel) underlined the importance of interoperability between networks, of encouraging research, development programmes and measures concerning public information.
Finally, Kaisu Karvala (GSM Europe), first speaker of the consumer interests group, stated that the "GSM Association" has, for several years, supported research. This research, she noted, would allow for the failings identified in knowledge to be overcome and provide a scientific basis for guidelines in terms of limiting exposure to microwaves rather than seeing arbitrary values imposed by a few Member States. Neil Anderson (Union Network International) favoured total financial transparency and stricter measures against fraud, an affordable universal broadband service and the creation of a European regulatory authority, responsible with ensuring a quality service. According to him, governments must be encouraged to reinvest the profits drawn from the third generation adjudication procedures into the sector's development. Jim Murray (European Bureau of Consumers) insisted on the role of consumer, which will be crucial in the development of 3G, since considerable sums have been invested in the tenders for third generation market share. Mel Read (ESP, United Kingdom) concluded the hearing asserting that the business world has shown incoherence, prejudice and short-sightedness in its approach to 3G.