Only optical fibre
has the capacity
the ‘Gigabit Society’
demands.
Prysmian Group called on the European Commission to be consistent with its ambitions for a Gigabit Society by supporting the rollout of optical fibre technologies – a position that implies moving on from the doctrine of technology neutrality in the long run. The call was part of a new study on
broadband deployment that the company presented in the European Parliament to European Commission officers, industry representatives and technology journalists, as well as any members of the European Parliament with an interest in digital affairs.
Intelligent choices are essential
MEP Massimiliano Salini, who hosted the meeting alongside MEP Emilian Pavel, stressed that ‘future-proof solutions’ are much needed in order to meet the rapidly expanding demand for data in Europe.
Industry perspective was provided by Jean-Pierre Bonicel, Senior Business Development Director at Prysmian, who emphasised that sustainable digitalisation relied on the careful selection of highquality network components such as fibre, cable and connectivity. Intelligent choices in this domain are essential to ensure that network disruptions are minimised and the end service is optimised. He held that only optical fibre technologies had the capacity to meet the demands of the Gigabit Society in the long run. “While a period of transition to this new technology is of course understandable, the Commission and Member States should provide public support to optical fibre and other genuinely future-proof solutions,” Bonicel stated.
Lending expertise to EU legislators
Interest in telecoms infrastructure and the accompanying European legislation will be heating up in September, the deadline for the Commission’s proposals. Philippe Vanhille, Senior Vice President of Telecom Business at Prysmian, commented that the Group “is happy to help facilitate this important legislative discussion. We will continue to lend our expertise and market insights to help European legislators deliver a telecoms framework that can support the vision of a Gigabit Society.”
According to a new study by Wolter Lemstra, a senior research fellow and telecoms specialist at Delft University of Technology, a long-term increase in connection speeds could only be delivered through fibre optic networks.
The study cautioned that despite the liberalisation of telecom markets, governments still have an important role to play in cases of market failure. Although leading European countries are performing well, attention must be paid to the digital laggards, with the aim of closing the gap between the top performers and the rest. Special attention is also needed for rural areas, where progress will require a bottom-up process, involving collaboration between government and users.
