IIC EVENTS: DEBATING EUROPEAN REGULATION

By RUSSELL SEEKINS

FUNDING THE INFRASTRUCTURE GAP: The meeting began with reflections on the draft gigabit recommendation1 and the extent to which it is in line with the Electronic Communications Code (EECC). It was observed that, in the case of commercial agreements, the code seems to favour investment to the detriment of competition, and promotes deregulation for investment in dense areas. The next speaker pointed out that 5G networks covered 72 per cent of the population. The number of base stations per 100,000 population in Europe is 57, compared to 415 in South Korea, 132 in China and 30 in the US. He noted
that the investment gap in Europe is 65 billion euros, as against a capex of European telcos of 45 billion euros. He emphasised the importance of sustainability – environmentally, financially and socio-economically. Rather than just consumption, thee is a value and revenue generating opportunity for telecoms networks which will benefit the majority of users.