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Computer Measurement Group Austria and Eastern Europe

CMG-AE

Wir fördern weltweit den Wissenstransfer und Erfahrungsaustausch von Experten der Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologie-Branche.

Lobbying Activity

Response to Europe’s digital decade: 2030 digital targets

9 Mar 2021

About CMG CMG-AE (Computer Measurement Group – Austria & Eastern Europe) is an open, vendor independent forum for stakeholders in the communication and information technology sector. The universal guideline of all CMG activities is how to implement innovation in a meaningful, economical and sustainable way for the benefit of society. CMG is part of an international Non-Profit-Organization, called CMG. The headquarter is based in the USA. Since establishment 1995 in Austria CMG has successfully established more than 10 working groups on different technical topics. The output based on reports, position papers, workshops, study-tours, conferences and academies has influenced regulation, national standardization bodies, governmental organizations and the general public. One of largest CMG groups is the Action Group Gigabit Fiber Access (AGGFA) working group established in 2009. The AGGFA is devoted to the promotion of FTTH and the wholesale only (Open Access Network – OAN) business models with the focus on rural areas, to disseminate the relevant knowledge and to provide a platform for exchange of experience and networking. More details on www.cmg-ae.at. CMG-AE Response on the Europe’s digital decade The Roadmap highlights “successful digital transformation needs to be based on a clear vision of a common future including all Europeans” and “clear goals and clear principles such as high connectivity level”. But the mentioning of a high connectivity level is not enough, connectivity should be much more prioritized and the focus should be laid on the necessity of ubiquitous VHCNs all over Europe. It is common sense that fiber networks are indispensable prerequisite for all developments and activities of digitalization. VHCN is the network of the Gigabit Society and the foundation of digitalization. The initiative for a new “common digital plan towards 2030” should grant VHCNs a prominent role and incentivize the roll-out of VHCNs at European level with highest importance, giving guidelines, supporting private and public investment and jointly rolling out fixed and 5G fiber networks, but avoiding overwhelming regulation and inefficient infrastructure competition, especially in rural areas. VHCN’s should d be understood as ubiquitous fiber networks up to all kind of end users and end points and connecting them among each other: homes, enterprises, all kind of “machines”, sensors, street furniture and, even more important in the future, base stations of 5G and 6G. VHCNs should be fit for Smart Cities and Internet of Things and of all kind of “cloudification” in the future. The passive fiber infrastructure of mobile networks has to be considered as a part of VHCN. But instead of being prepared for the future the European FTTH penetration bench marking shows a substantial backlog in many countries. An apparently acceptable broadband coverage obscures the view that Europe is lacking a future proof FTTH penetration. Taking into regard that the deployment of fiber roll out is a long term infrastructure undertaking it is of high priority to speed up now to meet the objectives in 2030. Digitalization will not happen without an adequate full VHCN coverage. Therefore more measures should be taken to speed up the roll out of VHCNs, to raise more private and public money, to shift competition from infrastructure to services and applications, at the same time avoiding a digital gap between rural and urban areas. The focus should laid on ubiquitous fiber infrastructure roll out instead of picking out the most economical areas and neglecting remote areas, where then a later fiber extension proves to be inefficient. Concentration on copper shut down initiatives should be started and supported on European level to illustrate that the life cycle of copper networks will reach its end and to harmonize this date of expiration with the full coverage of Europe with ubiquitous VHCNs.
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