Reduce regulation. This has been a repetitive request by Telefónica and other leaders of the telecommunications sector to end unnecessary administrative burdens and that growth and innovation are promoted; And this year, it wasn’t going to be less.
The president of Telefónica, Marc Murtra, has welcomed Mobile World Congress (MWC) on Monday and has taken the opportunity to claim the need for Europe allows the consolidation of large European telecation companies so that they can gain size and reinforce their technological potential. This decision would be “key” for the future of the continent: “It can reinforce European strategic autonomy, unlock productivity and improve people’s lives,” he said.
This scenario would force telecommunications operators to adapt and focus “on what they know how to do”, as long as The European Commission, European Member States, regulators and others also adapt “their regulations and their objectives to allow technological consolidation and of telecommunications. “In the event that it is not so, he has warned that the position of Europe will continue to” diminish “in front of other competitors and” will not have the capacity to decide his future autonomously. “
“Titanic” technology in China and USA
The telecommunications sector has been key in the technological progress of Europe and this has highlighted in the MWC the potential of the new broadband networks and the new opportunities that cloud -based architectures can provide. Although Murtra considers that this is true, it is not “enough to achieve drastic improvements in Europe”: “We must be aware that The excessive fragmentation of European TMT, excess regulation and insufficient profitability of the sector have weighed to Europethat has been technologically lagged. “
Already the former president of the company, José María Álvarez-Pallete said last September that, although Europe was the “cradle of innovation”, this continent was staying behind the deployment of 5G and fiber, becoming “irrelevant” against China and the United States, which are positioned as leaders.
This is because in other geographies such as USA, Middle East or Asia there is a “more conducive” environment to create “great national champions”Murtra assured. Therefore, “titanic” technology companies that drive change are based in the United States and China and invest “huge” capital amounts to develop and deepen disruptive and contraintuitive technologies. Therefore, it becomes essential that Europe progresses in this field and does not stay behind in the technological career. “We believe it is time for the large European telecommunications companies to consolidate and grow to create technological capacity. In Telefónica we want to be an active part of the change, “he said.