The general director of Connect Europe argues that if the decision continues against using suppliers such as China in the future, it is important to create conditions for this to happen.
Alessandro Gropelli, who leads the association representing major communication operators in Europe, was a speaker at the 34th APDC Congress, where the future of media and communications was debated on July 1-2, in Lisbon.
Asked about Europe’s relationship with China in telecommunications, considering the Chinese tech giant Huawei has been banned from 5G in some markets, the general director of Connect Europe states there are political decisions and then there is legislation, and operators’ work is to comply with the law.
“Therefore, if in the future, there is a continuous decision that we should not use suppliers from a specific area, like China, it is important to create conditions for that to happen,” Gropelli asserts, emphasizing that first, one must ensure blocking what is truly sensitive and not what is not sensitive.
Moreover, he suggests creating “good investment conditions in the sector because at this moment,” much is being asked of the sector, he highlights.
“The sector is being asked to keep prices low, pay a lot for the spectrum,” alongside “allowing new entrants and increasing competition, investing in networks because everyone needs to be connected, to use or not use some suppliers,” he lists.
“We cannot do all of this simultaneously,” warns the general director of Connect Europe.
“We need to create an investment climate that allows enough growth and money to make the choices we want to make,” the official continues.
“One cannot make [a decision] in isolation and say: today I am asking my telecommunications operator to remove a supplier,” Gropelli points out.
The question should also include: “Do they have the money? Do they have the conditions? Am I creating a good environment for them?”
This is because “if I make a political decision, then I also need to take responsibility for helping the sector implement it,” he argues.
In May 2023, the Security Assessment Commission (SAC), under the High Council for Cyberspace Security, issued a ruling about the “high risk” for the security of 5G networks and services from using equipment from suppliers that, among other criteria, are from outside the EU, NATO, or OECD, and whose legal framework in their home country allows the government to exercise control, interference, or pressure on their activities in third countries.
The ruling does not mention company names or countries, but Huawei’s case comes to mind, mainly because the Chinese tech firm has been banned from 5G networks in other European countries.
In September 2023, Huawei Portugal filed an administrative lawsuit against the SAC’s ruling on 5G equipment, aiming to safeguard its legal rights.
