The Polytechnic School of Telecommunications hosted the 14th meeting of IGF 2024 Spain, the Spanish multi-stakeholder forum that hosts the debates on the digital ecosystem that will define the landscape in the coming years.
This forum allows us to project our perspectives in the digital debates that define public policies at the international level, with the participation of relevant stakeholders from all sectors of the digital ecosystem, from platforms to telecommunications operators.
Discussions around emerging technologies such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, cloud computing and the new connectivity ecosystem, or the risks of internet fragmentation, the level playing field, for the sustainability of the digital ecosystem, are key issues that the Spanish forum should focus on. And several of the conversations focused on the new global governance pact, competitiveness and the new connectivity ecosystem.
The global pact and the recovery of competitiveness as elements for the future
Telefónica has been present at this conference since its inception and played a leading role at the opening table, where the main technological and regulatory challenges surrounding Internet governance were analysed. This debate took place in a crucial context, following the Summit of the Future promoted by the United Nations, and in the midst of a new European cycle aimed at regaining competitiveness as outlined in the reports by Draghi and Letta .
Juan Luis Redondo, Director of Digital Public Policy at Telefónica S.A., recalled the ambition of the summit of the future, with a new Digital Pact that adapts the governance of the United Nations to the new challenges posed by technologies such as artificial intelligence.
He also mentioned as one of the most relevant aspects for Europe in the year 2024 the publication of the Draghi report. A report that sets out a clear line of action for the new European institutional cycle. This report stresses the mandate to recover competitiveness. And this objective is achieved by increasing productivity, something in which digital technologies play a key role. Europe has tried to begin to re-establish a level playing field with regulations such as the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the Digital Services Act (DSA). But Europe cannot forget the relevance of innovation and investment. Without balancing regulation with an environment conducive to innovation and investment, a balanced development of the digital ecosystem in Europe will be very complex.
Building a resilient connectivity ecosystem
The telecommunications sector has evolved profoundly since the creation of the telecoms school in Madrid where the IGF was held. The connectivity ecosystem now integrates telecommunications, cloud computing and advanced platforms and technologies. This convergence has blurred the boundaries between industries, creating an interdependent, competitive and constantly evolving environment. Nuria Talayero, Head of Digital Public Policy at Telefónica S.A. adressed these concepts at the roundtable “The governance of digital infrastructures”.
In this new reality, traditionally separate players are now collaborating to build a common future based on more resilient and advanced digital infrastructures. Advances such as service virtualisation and cloudificationare being central to this transformation, offering flexibility and efficiency in networks. A prime example is the collaboration between Telefónica O2, Nokia and AWS to virtualise and cloudify the 5G network core. Another example of transformation is Open Gateway, the apification of the network, which illustrates this change in the ecosystem.
Thus arises the concept of 3C networks: Connected, Collaborative and Computational. They are connected because they ensure high levels of quality, flexibility and access, including technologies such as satellite connectivity. They are collaborative because they rely on cooperation between diverse infrastructures and stakeholders. And they are computational because they integrate advanced cloud computing capabilities, essential for critical applications such as autonomous mobility, industrial robotics or new developments in artificial intelligence. Moreover, these networks must be resilient and sustainable to meet the challenges of the future.
New rules for the new ecosystem
Operators continue to lead in connectivity investments with an annual investment of 59 billion euros in infrastructure per year in Europe, compared to 17 billion euros invested by other players). And the economic sustainability of telecommunications operators is essential to ensure continued investment in network modernisation and new deployments, essential to preserve Europe’s technological sovereignty. In an increasingly interdependent global context, these investments ensure the resilience, cybersecurity and privacy of critical infrastructures.
The incorporation of non-traditional players has enriched the ecosystem, but has also generated regulatory challenges, especially in terms of fair competition, interoperability and European technological sovereignty.
In this context, the future Digital Networks Act (DNA) should encompass all players in the digital infrastructure ecosystem and establish a regulatory framework that ensures a level playing field to promote fair competition and encourage innovation and investment. This framework should be embedded in a comprehensive digital strategy for Europe, designed to facilitate balanced collaboration between the various players in the ecosystem. This will create a regulatory environment capable of responding effectively to the needs for advanced, resilient and sustainable connectivity.
