On the eve of MWC Barcelona 2023, the EIF-GSMA Roundtable will bring together MEPs, high-level representatives from the European Commission, BEREC and industry stakeholders to discuss the future of Europe’s digital connectivity in the context of the 2030 Digital Decade targets.

With digital infrastructure being the foundation that will support all four of the Digital Decade priorities, getting 5G connectivity right is critical to enable Europe’s digital and green transition and power social inclusion. In this respect, the EU set out ambitious targets for covering all European households with a gigabit connection and all populated areas with 5G by 2030.

In line with these ambitions, European telecoms operators make significant investments year-on-year in upgrading network coverage, speed and capacity. The increase in network traffic will expect to continue with the growth of new digital opportunities such as the metaverse and will demand a new level of performance from Europe’s telecommunication networks, putting even more intense pressure on connectivity infrastructure. These concerns are also acknowledged by Commissioner Breton’s intentions to launch a comprehensive reflection on the future of Europe’s digital infrastructure.

Against this background, participants will discuss the necessary initiatives to create a new policy and regulatory framework that ensures Europe delivers on its vision for the Digital Decade. This could include new ways of financing network investment, efficient market structure, spectrum policies, cost for network deployment and uneven playing-field along the Internet value chain.

• Programme

  15:30

  Welcome coffee

  16:00

  Opening remarks

  Pilar del Castillo MEP and EIF Chair

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

  Speeches

  Renate Nikolay, Deputy Director-General, DG CNECT, European Commission

  Konstantinos Masselos, BEREC Chair for 2023 and President of the Hellenic Telecommunications and Post Commission (EETT, Greece)

  Open discussion moderated by

  Jennifer Baker, EU policy and tech reporter

  The Chatham House rule will apply to the discussion

  18:00

  Networking Drinks

  All participants are invited to join networking drinks hosted by Allied for Startups