Today in Brussels there were the main managing directors gathered of the big companies of European telecommunications, among which Peter Labriola di Team. During the meeting, it was a statement was released means Connect Europe (the new name of Etno, the association representing the main connectivity providers in Europe) which underlines how theEurope has reached a crucial point and you need bold policies to support competitiveness.
The statement states that robust digitalization will foster growth and well-being for citizens. Labriola highlighted how the main recommendation for the connectivity ecosystem is to reform the regulation , EU competition, in order to complete the digital single market for telecommunications.
Labriola: “A reform is needed for TLC in Europe”
At European level, it is essential intervene to restore competitiveness to the telecommunications sector, a key sector for the digital transition. This is the appeal launched by Pietro Labriola, CEO of Tim, during his speech at the Tech Leadership Forum of the Financial Times, which saw the participation of the main European telecommunications players. Labriola underlined the need for a market consolidation and a leaner regulation, which allows companies to compete on a level playing field, with uniform rules for all.
“When we talk about competitiveness, we need to be clear about what we want. If the goal is a truly digital Europe, the the current path is not the right one“, Labriola said. The CEO of Tim then gave a concrete example of the Italian situation: “In Italy, the average expenditure for mobile connectivity is equal to 4 coffees per month. It is clear that we need rules that allow us to compete in digital and generate profits. Otherwise, telecommunications will not have the resources necessary for essential investments, with consequent negative effects on the quality of service for consumers”.
Labriola reiterated that the only way forward is to reduce regulation and encourage market consolidation. “Scale is essential. Only in this way can we bridge the gap with those who are already more advanced“, he explained, stressing that innovation requires speed, while the current bureaucratic slowness risks slowing down progress.We can't afford to wait two years to introduce new rules. Innovation is fast and we cannot look to the future with the rearview mirror”.
Tim's CEO also highlighted a discrepancy between traditional telecommunications services and Over-the-top (OTT) platforms like WhatsApp, which are not subject to the same regulatory obligations as call centers or wiretapping. “We need to decide what our goal is and understand that the path to get there can constantly change,” he added.
Finally, he brought apositive example what is going on happening in the UK: “they have introduced a correlation between the prices that customers pay and inflation, they have started to regulate relationships with Over-the-tops and they are allowing a market consolidation with the merger between two large groups in exchange for investments”.
Spokane