GSMA waardeert Connected Continent, streeft naar meer hervormingen
De GSMA waardeert de inspanningen van de Raad van de Europese Unie en het Europese Parlement die ertoe hebben geleid dat wetten omtrent het zogeheten Connected Continent zijn aangenomen.
“De duidelijkheid die deze overeenkomst schept vermindert de onzekerheid omtrent regelgeving van telecombedrijven die in Europa actief zijn”, zei Afke Schaart, vicevoorzitter GSMA in Europa. “We vinden echter dat de regels niet afdoende zijn voor Europa om problemen aangaande de groei en concurrentiekracht van de regio aan te pakken. Om de Digital Single Market Strategy te verwezenlijken, moet er meer gedaan worden.”
De telecommarkt is drastisch veranderd sinds de huidige regelgeving voor de sector werd ingevoerd. De markten worden gekenmerkt door een toenemende mate van convergentie van technologieën en diensten. Consumenten krijgen te maken met een brede keur aan technologieën en aanbieders, waarvan veel afkomstig zijn uit aangrenzende sectoren, die gelijkaardige oplossingen bieden voor communicatie-eisen. De EU moet zich richten op snelle modernisering en, als dat mogelijk is, regels voor de branche verminderen. Daarbij moet de EU zich bewust zijn van de groeiende concurrentie van niet-traditionele bronnen.
GSMA Appreciates Adoption of the Connected Continent Regulation, Looks to Move on to More Pressing Rule Changes
The GSMA appreciates the efforts of the Council of the European Union
and European Parliament in concluding the Connected Continent
legislation.
“The clarity resulting from the agreement reduces the regulatory
uncertainty for telecommunications companies operating in Europe,” said
Afke Schaart, Vice President Europe, GSMA. “However, we believe the
rules agreed today are not sufficient to help Europe address the
region’s growth and competitiveness challenges. To realise the vision
laid down in the Digital Single Market Strategy, much more needs to be
done.”
Telecommunications markets have changed dramatically since the current
set of rules came into force. Today’s markets are characterised by a
rapidly increasing scope and convergence of technologies and services.
Consumers are faced with a wide array of technologies and providers,
many from adjacent industries, offering similar solutions to satisfy
their communications needs. The EU should aim to quickly modernise and,
wherever possible, reduce regulation in the sector, taking into full
account the increasing competition that is emerging from non-traditional
sources.
“Now is the time to address these issues with clear, long-term thinking.
That is why the GSMA urges the EU institutions to accelerate the
comprehensive review of the telecoms regulatory framework,” continued
Schaart. “The region needs a forward-looking policy and a regulatory
framework that further strengthens Europe as a preferred location for
investment and innovation, with European citizens receiving the same
level of protection when using the same or similar communication
services.”
The GSMA believes that the upcoming Telecoms Framework Review should
also address the missed opportunity to reform spectrum policies to
support the identification and deployment of harmonised spectrum for
mobile broadband across Europe.
Furthermore, significant work needs to be done to ensure the final
details of the Connected Continent Regulation are implementable. It is
important that the implementing act on roaming works effectively to
prevent negative impacts on domestic markets, and guidelines for the
Open Internet rules ensure consistent application of the Regulation
across the EU.
The GSMA welcomes the incoming Luxembourg Presidency and looks forward
to the Council sustaining the momentum and ensuring a timely update of
the EU policy framework to support and accelerate the region’s
transition to a successful Digital Economy.
-ENDS-
About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting
nearly 800 operators with more than 250 companies in the broader mobile
ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies,
equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in
adjacent industry sectors. The GSMA also produces industry-leading
events such as Mobile World Congress, Mobile World Congress Shanghai and
the Mobile 360 Series conferences.
For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com.
Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA.
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