Connectivity is emerging as a fundamental pillar of the European digital strategy, directly influencing competitiveness, technological development and access of citizens and businesses to modern digital services.
The next phase of Europe's Digital Decade is closely linked to the development of new generation networks, strengthening infrastructure and bridging digital inequalities.
These issues were analyzed by Kamila Kloc, Director, Directorate B Digital Decade & Connectivity, DG CONNECT, European Commission, during her keynote speech entitled 'The Future of European Connectivity,' in the context of the Digital Conference 'Shaping the Next Digital Frontier,' organised by the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy in the context of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
In her statement, Kloc highlighted the shift in the European policy approach towards a more holistic view of connectivity, which is now inextricably linked to the resilience, technological dominance and competitiveness of the Union.
As she noted, Europe's strategy for technological empowerment, including initiatives on semiconductors, artificial intelligence, cloud and open software, requires a strong and reliable network of digital infrastructures. Without them, as he underlined, the ambition for a truly digital and competitive Europe cannot be realized.
She emphasised the importance of high speeds, low latency and network reliability, as the increased needs of artificial intelligence applications, cloud services and connected devices create new challenges for European infrastructure. She pointed out that the demand for data and connectivity is constantly increasing, requiring a significant increase in network capacity.
As part of her analysis, she also presented the current state of play in Europe, noting that, despite advances in 5G coverage, significant gaps remain, particularly in high-frequency and next-generation autonomous networks. She stressed that the real challenge is not only about coverage, but mainly about the quality and capacity of networks to support future needs.
The Digital Conference 'Shaping the Next Digital Frontier' was organised by the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy in the context of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union, bringing together leading representatives of European digital policy and technology.
(Source: InBusinessNews)
