FT-ETNO Summit:

keeping up with technology

POLICY

On September 27, the FT-ETNO Summit gathered leading policymakers, regulators, industry executives and investors from Europe and beyond in Brussels, Belgium, for the 8th edition of the FT-ETNO Summit. Invitees discussed and debated the speed of technological change and how global lawmakers and industry can harness this to benefit society and the economy.

Valerio Battista

CEO PRYSMIAN GROUP

Discussions focused on a wide range of topics, ranging from the role of the communications industry in citizens’ lives and the unprecedented opportunities and challenges technology and mobility have brought about in recent years. Key topics included the importance of a reliable optic fibre network in Europe for development of 5G mobile networks and the consequences of loosening regulations in the US in Europe.

Europe is moving closer to reviewing EU telecommunication rules that will set the framework for progress in the years to come. During the Summit, regulators, industry executives and journalist debated the reforms to the Electronic Communications Code issued in October 2016, the policy priorities of the new European Parliament and their impact on European Telecoms, Media and technology.

Andrus Ansip, Vice-President for the Digital Single Market, European Commission, stated: “We are in a decisive period of European history, with regard to connectivity: we can decide to lead the transformations, through the efforts of all member countries, or we’re going to lose the game on telecommunication and 5G. A common regulation for funding and infrastructure development is needed in the near future”.

Prysmian Group acted as sponsor for the event. In his speech, CEO Valerio Battista emphasized the need for high-bandwidth, low-latency networks that will keep up with future requirements. “When we decide to build an infrastructure, it has to stay for 20-30 years, therefore quality of products is essential. Through quality, we can build reliable networks, with no interruptions in the services and a very low latency.”

Battista’s also discussed the importance of passive components, their cost and required investments. The cost of passive infrastructure is around 12% of the overall cost of a project, while the cost of installation and civil works is around 50%. Faster connections and easier to install products can help lower this overall cost.

The third point addressed was the security of networks: “eavesdropping on traffic within a fibre cable is, in theory, impossible”.

Discussions focused on a wide range of topics, ranging from the role of the communications industry in citizens’ lives and the unprecedented opportunities and challenges technology and mobility have brought about in recent years. Key topics included the importance of a reliable optic fibre network in Europe for development of 5G mobile networks and the consequences of loosening regulations in the US in Europe.

Europe is moving closer to reviewing EU telecommunication rules that will set the framework for progress in the years to come. During the Summit, regulators, industry executives and journalist debated the reforms to the Electronic Communications Code issued in October 2016, the policy priorities of the new European Parliament and their impact on European Telecoms, Media and technology.

Andrus Ansip, Vice-President for the Digital Single Market, European Commission, stated: “We are in a decisive period of European history, with regard to connectivity: we can decide to lead the transformations, through the efforts of all member countries, or we’re going to lose the game on telecommunication and 5G. A common regulation for funding and infrastructure development is needed in the near future”.