Ericsson, Nokia, Vodafone: Urgent Action Must Follow Welcome Words on European Competitiveness
Ericsson, Nokia, Vodafone: Urgent Action Must Follow Welcome Words on European Competitiveness
In a rare joint editorial opinion piece between Europe's two telecoms' vendors and the pan-European communications service provider Vodafone, the companies highlight investment, industry-supporting regulation, and consolidation among areas for action.
在一份罕見的合作聯合社論中,歐洲兩大電信設備供應商和泛歐通信服務提供商沃達豐強調了投資、支持行業法規和整合等領域的行動。
Signed by the heads of the companies' respective government and policy departments (Andrew Lloyd, Ericsson; Marc Vancoppenolle, Nokia; Ben Wreschner, Vodafone) the editorial appears in the September 3 edition of the politics and policy publication, Politico Europe.
在各自政府和政策部門(安德魯·勞埃德,愛立信;馬克·梵科彭諾爾,諾基亞;本·雷斯納,沃達豐)的負責人簽署的社論中,該社論刊登在9月3日的政治和政策出版物《Politico歐洲》上。
The signatories say their calls for action are in line with the proposed EU Digital Networks Act ambitions, as outlined in the February 2024 European Commission proposal on future digital infrastructure.
簽署者表示,他們對行動的呼籲與提議的歐盟數字網絡法案雄心相吻合,該法案概要在2024年2月歐盟委員會關於未來數字基礎設施的提案中得以闡述。
While welcoming recent recognition about the need for a new digital infrastructure approach - including by European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, and former Italian prime minister, Enrico Letta - the signatories say action timelines are key if Europe is to compete and benefit in the digital economy. The new term of the European Union, they say, presents the ideal catalyst opportunity.
儘管歐洲委員會主席馮德萊恩和前意大利總理萊塔等人最近對需要新的數字基礎設施方法的認同表示歡迎,簽署者表示,如果歐洲要在數字經濟中競爭和獲益,行動時間表至關重要。他們表示,歐盟的新任期提供了理想的催化劑機會。
The companies say the need for urgent action is highlighted by the fact that Europe already lags other global regions in the deployment of mid-band 5G (the EU Commission's own assessment shows high-quality 5G networks only cover half of EU territory) and development opportunities in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum technology.
公司表示,歐洲已經落後於其他全球地區在中頻5g的部署方面(歐盟委員會自己的評估顯示高質量的5g網絡僅覆蓋了歐盟境內一半的領土),在人工智能(AI)和量子技術等領域的發展機遇也在發展,這突顯出迫切行動的必要性。
"Europe now needs to see these statements evolving into clear-cut plans and concrete action that fosters innovation, attracts investment and delivers a true digital single market," they say.
他們表示,「歐洲現在需要看到這些聲明演變爲明確的計劃和具體行動,以促進創新,吸引投資並實現真正的數字單一市場。」
INDUSTRY CHALLENGES
行業挑戰
The joint editorial highlights some of the issues curtailing digital transformation in the European telecoms sector.
這篇聯合社論強調了制約歐洲電信行業數字轉型的一些問題。
"Operators have been subject to extractive spectrum auctions sometimes reaching costs in the hundreds of millions, often made worse by short license durations. Where operators have sought to gain scale through consolidation to facilitate greater investment in infrastructure, they have sometimes faced distortive remedies."
運營商有時不得不參與提取頻譜的拍賣,有時的成本高達數億,常常因短期許可期限而雪上加霜。在尋求通過整合來擴大規模以便更大規模投資基礎設施的運營商,有時會面臨扭曲的補救措施。
In addition, the companies say regulatory modernisation - comprising fewer, more flexible, and simpler rules - is key to European digital innovation competitiveness.
此外,公司表示,監管的現代化——包括更少、更靈活、更簡單的規則——對於歐洲數字創新的競爭力至關重要。
They say such consolidation and regulation challenges - alongside high costs, inflation, interest-rate hikes, and pressure to maintain low prices - have created a "perfect storm" threatening the telecoms sector's long-term viability and putting Europe's digital ambitions "at risk."
他們表示,此類整合和監管挑戰——以及高昂的成本、通貨膨脹、利率上調、以及維持低價格的壓力——導致了威脅電信行業長期生存能力、並將歐洲的數字雄心置於「風險」之中的「完美風暴」。
SHOOTS OF CHANGE
變革的苗頭
However, the signatories say recent German consultation on spectrum licensing was a good example of positive momentum.
然而,簽署者表示,德國最近對頻譜許可進行的磋商是積極勢頭的一個很好的例子。
"Germany's telecoms regulator is consulting on proposals to extend spectrum licenses for another five years. In return, operators must commit to reaching certain coverage obligations, such as covering 99 percent of rural households with fast connectivity by 2030," they say.
「德國的電信監管機構正在就延長頻譜許可的提案徵求意見。換取條件,運營商必須承諾達到一定的覆蓋義務,例如到2030年覆蓋99%的農村家庭具備快速連通性,」 他們表示。
"These proposals will bring far more benefits to German citizens than the alternative – an auction taking significant capital from telecoms operators that could have otherwise been spent on infrastructure improvements."
「這些提議將爲德國公民帶來比另一種選擇——從電信運營商獲取大量資金以用於基礎設施改善——更多的利益。」
They say Spain, France and Portugal have also made similar decisions in recent years.
他們說,西班牙、法國和葡萄牙近年來也做出了類似決定。
"Ultimately, this is an argument for the future of European competitiveness, and what it means to be European," they say. "Thankfully, the shoots of change are starting to emerge. Policymakers must now allow them to flourish."
他們說:「最終,這是關於歐洲競爭力的未來和歐洲意味着什麼的爭論。幸運的是,變革的希望正在開始出現。決策者現在必須讓它們茁壯成長。」
The joint editorial is the latest in Ericsson's ongoing focus on driving political and policy makers' action on European competitiveness, which included CEO and President Börje Ekholm raising the issue with several European prime ministers.
合資企業的社論是愛立信一直致力於推動政治家和決策者行動以提高歐洲競爭力的最新舉措,其包括總公司和董事長博爾傑·埃克霍爾姆向幾位歐洲總理提出了這個問題。
譯文內容由第三人軟體翻譯。