Deutsche Telekom EU Policy

We welcome the recent publication of the European Commission #WhitePaper on the Future of #DigitalInfrastructure.  But what is needed to facilitate the necessary investments in digital infrastructure in Europe?   Check out Deutsche Telekom’s key recommendations in response to the White Paper below. For a more detailed overview of our position, check out the link in the comments.

“Digital is pivotal for Europe, providing a competitive edge while driving positive outcomes for businesses, society, and the planet.”   We strongly support this key message of the new ERT The Digital Transformation of Industry Paper. We need to foster key enablers such as connectivity, data & AI, cloud computing or cybersecurity to boost EU competitiveness, resilience and sustainability.    The readiness of the digital sector as a key enabler and the backbone of EU industry is crucial to take a leading role and deliver on future connectivity needs:   No AI innovation in Europe without reliable, ultra-fast 5G & fiber networks. No industrial metaverse without networks that ensure high computing performance and are capable of transmitting data reliable & fast. No cybersecurity without resilient and secure networks as our digital backbone.   We therefore welcome that the European Commission has launched an initiative on the future of digital infrastructure in Europe and we are hopeful that it will also become a priority in the new mandate in the form of a #DigitalNetworksAct.

An ETNO Association delegation (Steven Tas, Lise Fuhr, Dr. Jakob Greiner & Alessandro Gropelli) visited Washington to strengthen the Transatlantic Dialogue last week. It was a good opportunity to discuss US policy challenges & American views on EU policies, and to update our partners on recent developments in Brussels at a time in which global challenges require close collaboration with like-minded partners. Read more: bit.ly/4cmHsmD

How competition is not the ultimate driver of competitiveness: see joint statement of telecoms and airline associations

Election day is just around the corner. Tomorrow, the first polling stations will open in the Netherlands, followed by the other 26 Member States over the weekend.   As Deutsche Telekom, we are supporting the European Parliament election campaign, encouraging our colleagues and fellow citizens to make use of their #RightToVote. As a German company with local operations in Austria, Croatia, Czechia, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia, the European project is part of our DNA.   For many of us at DT, the EU also has a personal meaning. This is why we are proud to share the voices of some of our colleagues, saying in their words why the #EUelections2024 matter to them. Click on the link in the comments below to read through them 👇   Big thanks for this initiative and for making your voices heard Sabrina Haag, Felix Johannes Josten, Tomek Jędrkiewicz, Bruno Koci, Karina Krawiec, Malgorzata Salomon, MBA, Wiktoria Wicherkiewicz, Marijana Brankov, Sára Čepelíková, Ante Kurtovic, Kristóf Papp, Michal Korec, Nikolaus Haidl   #UseYourVote #EUelections2024

The Cologne Regional Court ruled that Meta must pay Deutsche Telekom for network usage. The ruling demonstrates that network operators in Europe may very well demand payment from large internet companies for data transport. However, European network operators should not need to go to court to enforce payment in the first place.   Read below on why we believe a binding dispute resolution mechanism is the right approach to settle disputes like this more swiftly and efficiently in the future 👇   #DigitalNetworksAct #EUWhitepaper  https://lnkd.in/emk2TSK5

Today is #EuropeDay. We honor more than a date on the calendar. We celebrate the spirit of unity and cooperation that defines our continent. May 9, 1950 is considered the birth of Europe. On this day, Robert Schuman presented his vision of political cooperation in Europe and laid the groundwork for what would eventually become the EU. And indeed: in the aftermath of World War II his idea turned opponents into partners - and brought Europe unimagined prosperity and peace for more than 70 years. The European Union was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012 for this achievement. The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine in 2022 was a turning point. It showed drastically that a life in peace and freedom in Europe cannot be taken for granted anymore. Today, while discussions about the EU often focus on its economic initiatives and collaborative projects, we have learned a fundamental truth: the paramount value of international cooperation is peace. And even before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the European idea was hit by fundamental challenges - terrorism, Brexit, migration. More than ever, we cannot overestimate the value of a European unity that is based on shared core values, solidarity, democracy, and cooperation. The 27 member states of the European union encompass over 447 million people, speaking 25 official languages. The European Commission continuously explores ways to engage with other countries in further deepening their European integration and enhancing cohesion and stability across the continent. We at Deutsche Telekom are deeply committed to supporting the core values that define Europe! Our footprint mirrors the powerful unity in diversity. We are active in many European countries besides Germany and contribute with our infrastructure and our services to the digital inclusion for roughly 56 million customers across our European Footprint. During the past years, we concluded better roaming conditions together with our partners and European governments not just for the EU, but also for the Western Balkan countries as well as Ukraine and Moldova. We actively support EU’s values like democracy, social inclusion, and robust social systems. Recognizing the importance of rule of law, political stability, and predictability for investors, we are fostering environments where these elements thrive. Our dedication extends to ensuring that political processes in all the countries we operate in are inclusive and allow all stakeholders to be heard. We are not tiring to engage ourselves for a digitally inclusive and interconnected Europe. There is no alternative to European unification. Democracy is not an inheritance; it's a vibrant practice that requires our active participation. Don’t take it for granted! Today, every significant national issue also intersects with European policies. It is essential that we use our voice in shaping the Europe that we want. Please, #UseYourVote for the European Parliament on June 6th-9th 2024!

No digital without #networks. Boosting #competitiveness starts with the right infrastructure. Having state-of-the-art networks in place that can power the transition towards an AI- and data-driven society will have a critical impact on our economic success as a continent.   The recent European Commission #Whitepaper on digital infrastructure hits the nail on the head: "The future competitiveness of all sectors of Europe’s economy depends on [...] advanced digital network infrastructures and services, as they form the basis for global GDP growth between EUR 1 and 2 trillion and the digital and green transition of our society and economy".   Against this backdrop, it is great to see this group of leading network operators and equipment providers coming together around a joint vision on the #futureofnetworks for Europe. Take a look at the document and the key recommendations ⬇   1️⃣ Increase scale and investment capacity to master the technological transformation 2️⃣ Simplify the regulatory landscape and remove barriers to achieve growth 3️⃣ Develop an ambitious industrial policy for the digital infrastructure value chain   ETNO Association Cisco Ericsson IBM Intel Corporation Kyndryl Mavenir Nokia Qualcomm Samsung Networks

To tackle the climate and sustainability challenges ahead, we must all take responsibility and work on smart solutions. However, this isn’t always straightforward because great solutions, for example through digitalization, can come with their own challenges (e.g. in terms of energy consumption). At Deutsche Telekom, we are well aware of this. That is why we have invested in battery storage technology for renewable energy, making us the first telecommunications company in the world to use this technology. And this is just the beginning - we are already expanding this technology to other locations in Germany. If you’d like to learn more about it, check out this post ⤵ https://lnkd.in/etsdHh2S   #GreenMagenta #DeutscheTelekom #Earthday #Sustainability #Climate

The recently published „Letta Report“ is a strong wake-up call for #EU policymakers. It highlights that Europe can no longer do business as usual when it comes to industrial policy. #telecoms have been recognised as one of three European industries in dire need to scale up. Enrico Letta puts forward three essential recommendations: 1) the need for more scale to enable more #innovation, 2) a harmonised and investment-incentivising approach to spectrum rules, 3) better clarity on net neutrality rules so that new services are not left in limbo. Most importantly, the report is rightfully highlighting the urgency of changes proposed, with “speed” being front and centre of the report. We share that view and encourage all Member States to support swift legislative action in the new legislature. #DigitalNetworksAct #Letta