11 April 2024

The Nine

12:00 – 14:00 CET

Essential digital applications, many of which we use daily, are quickly evolving and advancing in their capabilities. Telecommunications operators are investing and innovating to ensure that Europe’s digital network infrastructure keeps pace.

As Member States, cities, companies, communities, and all of us as individuals undergo digital transitions, it is essential that we have the right regulatory, political, and social frameworks to ensure success.

This fireside panel discussion with leaders in the digital and connectivity sector examined the type of paradigm shifts required to move Europe towards the next digital frontier and foster competitiveness.

The conversations focused on how to:

• Ensure that Europe truly benefits from transformative digital technologies
• Support private investment and innovation in digital network infrastructure
• Tackle the alarmingly low level of digital skills in Europe and encourage a digital mindset

PANELLISTS:

• Kamila Kloc, Director of Digital Decade & Connectivity in Directorate B, DG CONNECT, European Commission
• Ann Caluwaerts – Chief Corporate Development Officer, Telenet and Non-Executive Board member Imec & Bpost
• Eke Vermeer – Vice President, Public Affairs, Liberty Global

The panel was moderated by Irina Varlan, Managing Director – GIGAEurope

Discover what our speakers said

“The White Paper is paving the way for a more deregulated approach with less burdensome remedies imposed on operators. One of the scenarios we are testing with stakeholders consists of recommending fewer markets or even no markets at the EU level while ensuring that relevant pro-competition safeguards are in place.”

“We need to take a fresh look at the connectivity sector, as companies undergo structural changes in their business models. Companies like Telenet separating the network business from the services business represents a trend across the industry. Deregulation of sector-specific legislation and a switch from ex-ante to ex-post controls are essential to accommodate new market dynamics and competition realities.“

“The telecom industry has an incredible potential to completely change how we experience AI as a society writ-large. With greater reliance on these transformative technologies telecom companies are working to ensure AI is used in a safe, fair, and transparent way. This is a crucial moment when AI is reshaping how we operate. We have the chance to be at the forefront of driving AI advancements worldwide.”