A DE-CIX, the global Internet Exchange (IX) operator, is set to host the second edition of the Atlantic Convergence from September 28 to 30 in Lisbon.
“Telecommunications operators are the backbone of Europe’s digital infrastructure,” says Ivo Ivanov.
In the short term, telecommunications operators “need to expand and ensure scalable connectivity across fixed, mobile, and international networks to meet the growing demand for cloud services, AI [artificial intelligence] applications, and digital content providers,” he states.
This “means investing not only in capacity but also in programming, automation, and security resources that enable companies and platforms to innovate in their networks,” continues the CEO of DE-CIX.
Currently, “profitability is indeed a challenge, especially as traffic volumes grow faster than revenues,” he points out.
Therefore, “a deeper collaboration across the entire digital value chain, among operators, data centers, content providers, and cloud services, will be essential,” he argues.
When asked about consolidation, Ivo Ivanov remarks that “the trend in Europe is to seek efficiency and scale to sustain investment.”
“Whether this will be achieved through mergers, partnerships, or infrastructure sharing will depend on market conditions and regulation, but the underlying logic is the same: to ensure sustainable networks that can support Europe’s digital future,” concludes the CEO.
The Atlantic Convergence will bring together CEOs from major companies and operators of submarine cables and data centers with investments in Portugal, as well as visionaries, experts, advanced users, and digital infrastructure architects from both sides of the Atlantic.
According to the organizers, this year’s key theme is navigating digital changes and harnessing transformation.
Just weeks before the event, almost 700 participants from Europe, Asia, North America, and South America have already registered, according to DE-CIX.
