The future of Europe’s Digital Connectivity | GSMA Summer Reception

The future of Europe’s Digital Connectivity | GSMA Summer Reception

Start: Tuesday 13 June 2023 16:00

End: Tuesday 13 June 2023 20:30

Venue: GSMA Europe Office

Location: Regent Park - 1st Floor, Boulevard du Regent 35, 1000 Brussels

The GSMA is pleased to invite its members and EU digital policy experts to its Summer Reception. The attendees will have an opportunity to join the EURACTIV panel on the future of Europe’s digital connectivity, which will be followed by the GSMA rooftop reception, which will take stock of mid-year digital policy achievements and offer face to face interactions with the GSMA community. We very much hope you will be able to join us on 13 June in Brussels.

Programme

16:00 – 16:30 | Welcome
16:30 – 16:35 | Opening remarks

Daniel Pataki, Vice President Policy and Regulation & Head of Europe and CIS, GSMA

16:35 – 17:45 | EURACTIV Debate on the Future of Europe’s Digital Connectivity – How to Settle the Fair Contribution Debate?

Mobile data traffic is forecasted to increase by 25% per year towards 2030, requiring operators to continuously expand network capacity. Yet, according to industry stakeholders, the return on investment in infrastructure for network operators is low, raising concerns that operators, despite investing at rates of up to 20% of revenue, cannot keep up with the increasing traffic and meet the Digital Decade targets.

This EURACTIV debate will coincide with the end of the future of the electronic communications sector and its infrastructure consultation period and will discuss the possible models for the implementation of fair contribution to network costs essential to secure a sustainable and resilient future internet ecosystem. Questions to be discussed include:

– What is the model proposed by the European telecommunications industry?
– What are the other possible models: direct contribution (commercial or cost based), fund solutions?
– What are the potential pros and cons of the different mechanisms for the wider internet ecosystem?
– Which regulatory framework would best support the preferred solution?

Panelists:

Carlota Reyners Fontana, Head of Unit Electronic Communications Policy, Implementation and Enforcement, DG Connect, European Commission
Michel Van Bellinghen, Member, Management Board, BEREC & Chairman, BIPT Council
Antonio Manganelli, Professor of Antitrust and Regulation, LUMSA University
Ben Wreschner, Chief Economist and Head of Public Affairs, Vodafone Group, and Chair of Policy Group Europe
Tomas Jakimavicius, Director of European Government Affairs, Microsoft

Moderated by Dave Keating, EURACTIV

17:45 – 20:30 | GSMA Summer Rooftop Reception