Category: Blog

Few of us would argue with the need for data protection laws to safeguard consumers and individuals, but industry convergence, digitalisation and disruption from new technologies and players makes the implementation of such laws more difficult than ever. In this complex, interlinked regulatory environment, it is important not to forget how the regulations impact organisations that use IT.

I’m not speaking here about companies and consultants that provide IT services, but rather every type of company that relies on IT for their operations: whether they produce and provide food, components, energy, services… And they tell us that data protection and security are priority topics.

Beltug represents the voice of these business users in Belgium, and internationally through our connections with INTUG and euro.digital. They bring us their concerns directly – and the current regulatory situation is creating complexity and uncertainty for them. New challenges in privacy, cybersecurity and data protection are requiring regulators to reach into domains beyond their traditional competencies.

I want to highlight three elements that are complicating the landscape for business users of IT:

• Lack of international harmonisation
• Overlaps between regulators’ efforts
• Dominance

Harmonisation: many companies today operate in more than one country, and thus face multiple regulatory regimes. Even with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), rules vary by country. But each company has the responsibility to comply with the different requirements.

Overlaps:  within one country, multiple regulators can come up with different implementations on overlapping topics. For example, in Europe, the Network and Information Security (NIS) Directive and General Data Protection Regulation both require companies to report security and data breaches, but each has different reporting forms, deadlines, and so on. There is a risk therefore that we don’t arrive at the most efficient implementation.

Dominance: for years, Beltug has been calling for healthy competition in the telecoms business market. But we are now seeing serious changes in the market, with very dominant players. This increases the risk of vendor lock-in and raises barriers to entry for smaller companies.

At the same time, technology continues to evolve faster than legislation, which stifles innovation and the adoption of promising technologies, such as blockchain. Companies face major ambiguity on essential questions: who owns what data? Who may commercialise data? And how can we ensure data is well-protected?

These are only a few examples of why it is important to consider the perspective of the companies that will have to implement data protection regulations, while the latter are being drafted. Legislation needs to protect consumers’ rights, but also support and uplift the businesses that comprise our economies. I look forward to exploring the options in the international panel on Regulating the future: safe, inclusive, connected at ITU Telecom World 2019 in Budapest.

Audio description is the use of words to convey visual images to people who do not have access to the images.  It’s a translation—from the visual to the verbal.  The visual is made verbal — and aural A-U-R-A-L, he points to his ear, and oral O-R-A-L, he points to his mouth.  Audio Description uses words that are succinct, vivid, and imaginative to convey the visual image that is not fully accessible to a segment of the population — new estimates by the American Foundation for the Blind now put that number at over 21 million Americans alone who are blind or have difficulty seeing even with correction — and not fully realized by the rest of us, as sighted folks who see but who may not observe.

Indeed, sighted viewers appreciate the descriptions as well.  On television, it’s for people who are blind or have limited vision and sighted people who want to be in the kitchen washing dishes while the show is on. 

For almost 40 years I have been working with Audio Description or AD–and since that time I have been fortunate enough to help performing arts groups, media producers, museums, schools, libraries, and other venues all around the world and on the web develop AD programs.  One of my contracts is with the American Council of the Blind to direct its Audio Description Project, where we maintain a website that is the most comprehensive repository of information about audio description in the United States and perhaps the world.  Please visit it at:  www.acb.org/adp.

In almost 70 countries, audio description can be found to varying degrees on television, with movies, in performing arts venues and in museums.  Now, in 2019, almost every feature film released in the United States includes an audio description track accessible via headsets distributed at movie theaters.  About a dozen countries now mandate audio description with broadcast television to a limited extent; the additional soundtrack is accessed via a secondary audio channel that was a part of the analog transmission of television and is now available in countries that have adopted digital transmission.  And increasingly, streaming video or videos posted on websites include an audio description soundtrack — accessed either via a separate video posted with description or via a video player that includes a toggle feature that allows consumers to turn on or off the audio description.  Often, televised commercials have an audio description track — examples of companies that are recognizing the wisdom of having its promotional material be more accessible include Microsoft, Anheuser-Busch, Activa, Enterprise Car Rental, Burger King and more.

My belief is that the future of audio description delivery in movie theaters and at home lies with the smartphone and the use of apps that “listen” to a production’s original soundtrack and sync it to a downloaded audio description track.  In the United States, the principal app that already provides this functionality is Actiview.  Not only does it provide audio description, it can also offer enhanced audio. This is not simply increased volume but also equalized sound for people who are hard-of-hearing; audio dubs/subtitles, an audible or visual translation of the movie dialogue for people who speak an alternate language; captioning of the dialogue and key sound elements; and sign language for people who are deaf.  

Let me close with an important observation:  in the United States the principal constituency for audio description has an unemployment rate of about 70%.  I am certain that with more meaningful access to our culture and its resources, people become more informed, more engaged with society and more engaging individuals — and thus, more employable.

I look forward to discussing the importance of audio description as part of the Forum session “Accessibility matters: dismantling the barriers of disability with technology” at ITU Telecom World 2019 in Budapest this September.

This year’s ITU-T Telecom World has the theme of “Better, Sooner”.  I could not think of a better theme to have a discussion around as our next generation of telecommunications technologies, 5G, begins to become a reality.  What is really exciting about 5G, and why “better, sooner” matters, is that for the first time in the history of telecommunications we are not relying on a single telecommunications technology for our next generation of communications – but a true network of networks.  The 5G network is unique in this outlook: for the first time the world agrees that for everyone everywhere to receive the communications services they need, this network will have to combine all technologies, from terrestrial to non-terrestrial, wireless or wired, to bring the network attributes that today’s users require – any time, any place, real –time, cost-effective high speed broadband communications.

Now the question is how do we, the world’s governments, service providers, equipment vendors, network operators and the like, deliver on the promise of this 5G network of networks.  First and foremost, we must design regulatory and standards regimes that are technology neutral.  Let me start by saying that technology neutrality does not necessarily require technology equality.  But what it does require is that no single technology is favored as standards and regulatory structures are developed. 

For example, when thinking about government funding to extend communications to areas which may not be economical to serve without government support, such funding efforts must be technology neutral.  Although one technology may be favored because of its ability to deliver on a performance criteria, such as latency or high-capacity, other technologies should not be excluded or biased against, because they may have certain characteristics, such as lower cost or speed to deployment, that might make them a solid alternative (or, once really examined, possibly preferred). In low density population areas, for example, fiber technologies may well have the potential to bring the highest speed, lowest latency broadband services to an area, but the cost often makes it uneconomical, even with government funding, for such services to be deployed. In such cases, a government would be able to achieve greater coverage and meet the immediate demands of rural users for broadband by using a non-terrestrial service, such as satellite, which today can provide broadband services immediately without the need for costly or time-consuming infrastructure being deployed.

Further, in the area of spectrum allocation it is critical that governments ensure that all technologies have access to the spectrum they need.  This requires a careful balancing and a recognition that sometimes spectrum decisions must be made on more than purely economic factors.  Let me explain.  Although in many countries assigning spectrum to terrestrial wireless services brings in revenue, these services rarely, even with build-out requirements, provide service to the more remote portions of a country.  This is largely because of the economics of deploying services to these areas – which is where non-terrestrial technologies, such as satellite, can be available on a cost-effective basis.  Satellite services can also provide much needed competition to underserved areas, often resulting in better services and lower prices to consumers in these areas.  Accordingly, regulators must take such considerations into account when making spectrum decisions; another form of technology neutrality.

I am happy to see that our standards bodies  recognize the importance of multiple technologies comprising our 5G networks, as groups such as 3GPP begin to include satellite in the 5G standards making process. I am hopeful that as ITU continues its exploration of future networks, it will take to heart the principle of technology neutrality to ensure that the definitions and standards underlying future networks are truly technology neutral.

I am certain that as the principle of technology neutrality is incorporated into our 5G regulatory and standards regimes, we will be able to achieve a truly connected world and meet the goals of this year’s ITU Telecom World – Better, Sooner – and I look forward to exploring this topic further in the panel discussion “5G: the state of play” in Budapest this September.

First people thought automated driving was a sprint race, now many think it’s a marathon. However, it’s turning out to be an ultra-marathon relay. No one can solve its challenges alone: the future of automation lies in collaboration.

Safety trumps accelerated deployment

Leading up to 2018 tech news was full of claims of fully self-driving fleets and widespread adoption by 2017, 2018 and later 2021. This optimism is now nowhere to be seen. A series of accidents sadly leading to fatalities served as a wakeup call to the largely unregulated automated driving industry that the approach had to change. The focus shifted from realizing autonomy as quickly as possible to making it as safe as possible in the long term.

In practice, this has resulted in OEMs and Tier1s already reorganizing their automated driving research and development teams. Car manufacturers are now looking into deploying existing technologies as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).  Only a select few stakeholders are still aiming to control the whole development process and deploy their own fleets, the wider industry meanwhile, is increasingly open to collaboration.

Collaboration feeds standardization

The reason behind this is simple: collaboration is the key to survival. Automated driving is immensely complex and resource intensive. No one will be able to solve every problem alone. However, the approach to the development of these systems has to change to make collaboration viable. Software solutions must increasingly move towards hardware agnostic modular designs to facilitate deployment, while industry standards are needed to enable knowledge and data exchange.

Understanding the inner workings of Artificial Intelligence-based networks used for object detection serves as a good example of the challenges ahead. As opposed to classic algorithms, Artificial Intelligence-based networks are largely shaped by training data and behave in a nonlinear way. This can lead to results not necessarily understood by the network designer or the end users. The automotive industry, however, has low tolerance for uncertainty in how accurately automated cars can detect and classify objects in their way. To move forward with the widespread deployment of automotive AI, the industry will need to agree on a framework to provide methods and tools for the assessment of these networks.

Standardization will either be achieved through cooperation and self-regulation or forced upon the industry by regulator and governments. An example of such would be enforcing compulsory “self-driving tests” for automated vehicles. The grounding of Boeing 737 Max 8s globally following the tragic events of recent months is an example of how drastically regulators can limit new technologies if their respective industries fail to regulate and standardize themselves. Naturally, the automated driving sector must strive to avoid such difficulties and work towards making the testing and deployment of automated driving as safe as possible.

Add in decreasing investor momentum in the automated driving industry, the slowing global economy and the shrinking automotive market, and the need for building meaningful collaborations and working towards trusted industry standards becomes increasingly evident. I look forward to discussing automotive industry collaboration to establish an AI framework at the forum session on “AI for ALL? Building on a global ecosystem to boost societal and economic potentials” at ITU Telecom World 2019 in Budapest this September.

INPUT Program is pleased to announce its dedicated day at ITU Telecom World 2019 on September 11, bringing together change-makers and stakeholders from innovation and startup ecosystems from around the world.

INPUT Program is a high-priority government project financed by the EU, which was established in 2016 by the Hungarian Government with contributions from the EU Regional Development Fund. The Program aims to create and nurture internationally competitive Hungarian tech startups, and to facilitate the growth and transformation of the Hungarian startup ecosystem by encouraging entrepreneurs and helping them building sustainable ventures. The Program is supported by PwC Hungary, leveraging the company’s business development and technology expertise, as well as their global network.

For the second time after its success in 2015, the host country of the ICT sector’s premier conference and exhibition is Hungary. On this particular occasion, INPUT Program is taking this unique opportunity to include a one-day long program series at the Hungarian National Pavilion and in the high-level Forum summit.

The program starts with a roundtable discussion on the topic of innovative ideas in the traditional corporate environment moderated by the Communication Lead of Artificial Intelligence Coalition of Hungary, Levente Hörömpöli- Tóth, with participation of strong players from the ICT sector’s corporates and innovative startup ecosystem, such as Vodafone and Semmelweis University Technology Transfer Unit.

The first nationwide INPUT Startup Competition will provide an opportunity for the conference attendees to follow the exciting final event, where 5 teams will pitch their innovative solution, idea or technology to a professional international jury and audience.  The jury members are influential figures from the government, corporate executives and innovation sector stakeholders from all over the world, including Thore Vestby, the successful serial entrepreneur from Ichi Fund, China, or Brad Mix, Senior Director of Innovation Prince Edward Island, Canada.

As an excellent platform for reflecting the newest trends and initiating discussion on the core issues of the ICT sectors by public, private and research sectors experts, INPUT Program’s Forum session enables its international partners to share their high-level opinions in a panel discussion on the subject of ”Innovating together: Connecting Ecosystems”.  The discussion will be moderated by Ron Sege, the CEO of Silicon Valley Leadership Group, while attendees will be able to learn more about the topic from panel members including Glendowlyn L.Tahmes from Indonesian CTNext, Surina Shukri, CEO of Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation, and Robert Orr from Natural Products Canada. Further speakers such as Marta Arsovska Tomovska, Former Minister for Information Society and Public Administration in the Macedonian Government, and Mary Alcantara from MKB FintechLAB, will share their porfessional experiences with their fellow panel members.

At the  closing ceremony of the dedicated INPUT day at ITU Telecom World 2019, the first INPUT Startup Competition winner teams will be announced, and it will provide  an opportunity for the participants to interact in a more informal way and explore future cooperations possibilities.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity — join the dedicated INPUT Program day at ITU Telecom World 2019 in Budapest this September!

Technology has been changing the lives of people with a disability across the world for many years. It broadly takes two forms: those technologies that enhance and augment the capacity of the individual such as wheelchairs, glasses or hearing aids, and those technologies that expand or enhance the environment to accommodate the diversity of human functioning. 

While some technologies can be defined as assistive, designed to address the needs of people with disability, others are far more mainstream, meeting the needs of a broad population and in doing so including functionality that supports those with additional needs. Such additional needs can include situational disabilities, where the environment reduces access for many for a short time. For instance, the same technology that allows a person to control their phone with their voice, as a result of a physical disability, also gives anyone control over their phone when they cannot touch it, such as when driving.

The demand for all forms of assistive technology (AT) is increasing globally, and it has become clear that traditional products and services have not proven capable of addressing the scale of the need. So our approach to both products and the AT ecosystem needs to be rebuilt with the breadth and depth of needs addressed. Such innovation and change can fairly be described as disruptive.

Such innovation is already impacting on traditional assistive technologies including the design and delivery of mobility aids and prosthetics. “Prosfit” from Bulgaria demonstrate how 3D printing offered a means to reduce the cost of providing prosthetic limbs by sharing expertise remotely to design and distribute the prosthetic, tailored to the individual and fitted locally. Other available products include the use of open licences to share and distribute resources to support communication and literacy. For example, “Global Symbols”, “Project Vive” and “eKitabu” create products and services based on open licenced technologies facilitating local manufacture and distribution of essential resources. Each demonstrates the value of an open approach in communities across the world including the Middle East, Latin America and Kenya, reaching people with disabilities in countries which were previously unable to make use of, or afford, traditional resources and solutions.

This diversity of solution offers us the means of meeting the needs of people with a disability across the world. Features built into our phones, tablets and computers give access to many who are blind, print- or hearing-impaired, or physically unable to manipulate a device without additional resources. Others benefit from the additional functions of free and open source technologies that can be added to such devices, allowing funds and time to be spent considering those with the greatest barriers to access. But making this happen is challenging. The products exist, but the distribution and implementation of products that are affordable, that are suitable for every person, with the support and training required requires an AT ecosystem to be active, reflecting local experience, language and culture and combining awareness, assessment of needs, provision, training, support and further research based on clear rights-based policies. The coordination and implementation of such an ecosystem is the greatest challenge in ensuring access for all.

Developing an AT ecosystem that can address the scale of need also requires fresh thinking. Increasingly, emerging technologies are suggesting ways in which we can respond to that need. New media, and especially social media, needs to be seeded with appropriate and independent resources to encourage awareness of and advice about assistive technologies. Approaches to assessment of need and identification of solutions are increasingly available online, such as in the GARI database of mobile technologies (www.gari.info), or are driven by AI and machine learning to improve the matching of needs to options, such as ATVisor (www.atvisor.ai). The building of capacity within countries will encompass not only awareness, advice and assessment, but will include provision models, training and technical support – all of which are potentially available online and on demand for a range of solutions. Making such a change in the provision of AT will require the commitment of policy makers, engaged with those with a disability to build systems that are efficient and effective. Whilst all change brings risks, the potential impact in addressing the needs of all citizens are significant – and I look forward to discussing how we can work together to make this happen in the panel session “Accessibility matters: dismantling the barriers of disability with technology” at ITU Telecom World 2019 this September.

When the Government of Indonesia decided to showcase their experience fostering the development of different digital economy business models, they headed to Busan, Republic of Korea, where ITU, the United Nations specialized agency for information and communications technologies (ICTs) was organizing ITU Telecom World, a global tech event held annually at different locations around the world, connecting heads of government, tech & business leaders and high-growth SMEs.

Indonesia’s ICT Minister, H.E Rudiantara highlighted his country’s experience to this global audience, hosted a press conference to international media, and helped launch some of the country’s up and coming SMEs onto a global stage.

Participants from around the world, be they a government minister from Tuvalu, a regulator from Poland or the CEO of a small tech enterprise from Mozambique, flock to ITU Telecom World events. Here they can connect to a UN agency director from Geneva, a Boston-based AI expert or the Hungarian representative of a leading global broadband network company.

You’ll find heads of state and government, academics, media, tech experts, heads of international organizations and decision-takers in vertical sectors from finance to education and transportation gathering together. It’s a mixture of stage, melting pot and meeting room when it comes to influential figures in the tech world – the people actually deciding where money is spent and on what, experts in technology, strategy and policy, all ready to connect, share good practice and do business.

Delegates come to meet, network, conclude deals, share their own personal insights and creative ideas, as well as to learn and take in views and lessons of others, to apply back home. “We have to learn what the advanced countries do,” explained Indonesia’s Rudiantara at ITU Telecom World 2017, “How they develop their digital economy, how they can maximise digital technology to the economic or social benefit of the people – that is our main objective at this conference.”

“It’s an exceptional opportunity to interact with my peers, with governments and policy makers and all stakeholders in one place, and actually hear their perspectives.” said Qualcomm’s Elizabeth Migwalla about her recent event experience.

As it is organized by the UN, the ITU Telecom World event plays a unique role in connecting developing and developed markets across its exhibition, conference and networking hub. The innovation, projects, applications and products on the showfloor provide a window to the world of governments, associations and leading industry players around the world.

Helping tech SMEs grow and scale-up

The second USP is the focus on tech SMEs – the micro, small and medium tech enterprises which are so critical in driving job creation, innovation, entrepreneurialism and socio-economic development throughout the world. The SME Programme of workshops, pitching and mentoring sessions, networking and debates at the event aims to support SME growth – and culminates in the ITU Telecom World Awards for the best innovative tech solutions for social good.

The mix of SMEs, new technologies, big industry, investors, experts and policy-makers makes for an  unusual networking hub – one which has proved very successful in building contacts, partnerships, business and creativity.

Ask Sabelo Sibanda, CEO and co-founder of Tuse Applications, a South African SME using IoT, AI and predictive data analytics to bring the benefits of connectivity to agricultural and domestic settings. Tuse entered the ITU Telecom World Awards last year to launch their products, and reach new markets, funding and skilled staff.

“The experience was truly a game changer for our business,” he said, “The SME programme gave us unparalleled exposure, access to markets, finance and new opportunities. And winning the Award gave us all of that on an exponential scale.”

The result: within weeks of winning, Tuse had increased its business to such an extent that the company had to move to bigger premises and recruit 67% more staff  – an important step on the way to becoming what Sibanda calls  “the most impactful African unicorn.”

Or Hiroshi Tominaga, General Manager, Japan Battery Regeneration, and event participant: “A small company like us doesn’t usually have the opportunity to come to this event, but by participating we can meet the right people, announce and advertise our technologies, which is very helpful for the growth of our business.” Directly following their exposure at the event, Japan Battery Regeneration went on to close a major deal with a global transportation company, significantly accelerating their progress in both domestic and international business

Next stop Budapest

This year the event is headed to Budapest, Hungary, starting on 9 September, where it will focus on international, cross-sector collaboration to harness new technologies and innovative approaches for digital inclusion and social good – all under the theme of “Innovating together: connectivity that matters. A powerful Forum programme of debate, exhibition plus effective networking with decision-makers throughout the digital ecosystem is on offer – just where the journey will take you is up to you.

You can register today to join this year’s ITU Telecom World 2019, with a number of special offers now available.

For more information visit https://telecomworld.itu.int/

By Ruth Pritchard-Kelly, Vice President of Regulatory at OneWeb

The digital divide and the immediate need for internet provision from space

Almost half of the global population still does not have access to the internet (ITU figures 2018). This “digital divide” is not only an issue in developing countries. Unconnected populations exist in every country, and regulators must find ways to provide universal access to the internet. In the modern, increasingly online-centered world, access to the internet is a basic human right. In unconnected communities, it represents a transformational force. Connectivity is fundamental to education, healthcare, and economic growth. Connectivity is the single greatest benefit a government can provide to its people: from connectivity flows education, health, government services, and most of all, jobs.

In the absence of a united global governance framework, a range of organizations have rallied together to try to map and conquer the global digital divide. Initiatives like UNICEF and Project Connect’s partnership have done a lot to inform programs around education, health, and emergencies. Project Connect stemmed from a need to create a platform to unite the technology industry, academia, and NGOs in forming initiatives to solve these issues.

How satellite technology is best placed to help bridge the digital divide

New satellite technology is the best solution to meet the increasing global data demand. Only space-based infrastructure can provide truly-ubiquitous geographic, low cost, low latency, coverage of the world. The non-geostationary (NGSO) low Earth orbit (LEO) constellations, such as OneWeb, provide the lowest latency to date, and will revolutionize the infrastructure used to provide 4G and 5G. The satellite industry has gone through a game-changing transformation in the last decade; however, regulatory innovation must also happen, and adoption of best practices will increase the rate at which we achieve progress towards this goal – to bridge the digital divide.

Regulation of new technologies has the ability to massively help or hinder progress and innovation

The regulatory implementation and framework around low-orbit NGSO systems presents new challenges in that most countries have regulations for GSO satellites but not for NGSO systems, and changing the regulations of a country to include NGSO systems can take years. To encourage the supply of multiple connectivity technologies, regulators should:

• support technology-neutral regulations (such as blanket licensing) that encourage speedy roll-out of innovative technologies and services;
• have transparent “open skies” policies that promote competition and coexistence which have been proven to boost economies;  and
• discourage the finance and treasury agencies from looking to ICTs as a source of income (via auctions or taxes or fees), which only serve as barriers to the introduction of connectivity which defeats the goal of bridging the digital divide.

In this quest for connectivity, certainty and fairness regarding spectrum access is essential. The ITU plays a vital role in the global management of this scarce resource. Its processes are already defined and internationally accepted, and provide an ideal framework to provide protection for all spectrum users as well as the environment, via initiatives like its Sustainable Development Goals.

Collaboration: how to bind governance and execution

Innovation and progress are not possible without collaboration. For new regulatory practices to have the greatest impact these efforts will have to leverage the combined strength of industry, policy-makers, and regulators. OneWeb for example, has committed to chairing a global alliance of organizations for ‘Responsible Space.’ One of the key pillars of ‘Responsible Space’ is to support policy outcomes through collaboration.

The dream of fully bridging the digital divide is on track to be a reality, and I’m so incredibly proud to work for OneWeb for this reason. The industry already has all the key elements in place to make global connectivity a reality: technology, launches, satellites, as well as commercial operators across the globe. There is a long way to go in bridging the demand for connectivity and ensuring everyone can connect to the global marketplace. Congruence between regulators and practice is the last step towards achieving this.

I look forward to discussing these issues in more depth in the Forum session “Broadband today – and tomorrow: from wireless broadband to gigabit strategies” at ITU Telecom World 2019 in Budapest this September.

Europe is in the midst of change. As a new European Parliament and European Commission start working on a new wave of tech policies, the EU is trying to find its space in an increasingly competitive digital world.

Telecom companies are part of this quest for a fresh, renewed leadership in the digital space. With 5G, they can be part of the solution, too. 5G is now becoming reality in several European countries, with commercial roll-out taking off. We will soon have access to 5G-powered devices in our pockets, homes and cars. The R&D and investment efforts over the past years are now starting to have tangible outcomes. Is Europe ready to fully seize the opportunity, complete roll-out and fully digitize societies?

With great digital networks come great opportunities and investment!

Today, a European consumer consumes around 150 GB in fixed data and more than 3 GB in mobile data per month, on average. With 5G taking-off in more and more countries, the shift towards mobile data traffic will be steep and fast, but also empower several use cases across industrial sectors.

According to Analysis Mason estimates in ETNO’s State of Digital Telecommunications Report, there will be more than 100 million 5G connections in Europe by 2025. Internet of Things connections are expected to undergo an even more stunning uptake: 800 million subscriptions by 2025. In this context, more and more “traditional” industrial sectors will embrace 5G to digitally transform. For example, automotive will be propelled into the connected cars era, and the healthcare sector will see dramatic improvements in telemedicine and remote care.

Making all of this happen will require significant investment. According to BCG, the cost of accomplishing the task is above €500bn. Around 55% of this investment will be in fibre networks, 30% in radio access network and 15% in proximity data-centres. Europe needs strong pro-investment policy to help the sector deliver the leap.

A vision for EU tech leadership

As telcos contribute to building EU tech leadership via the development of new networks, ETNO has also launched a dialogue with stakeholders to create a shared vision on how to achieve this ambition. New digital networks and services alone will not be able to help positively transform society.

For this reason, we are gathering the views of user groups and tech representatives through ETNO’s “Dialogues for Tech Leadership”. A broad range of stakeholders called for the EU’s new policy and regulatory instruments to support digital developments by allowing more European innovation to flourish and by adopting forward-looking policies. These include the need for smart and evidence-based regulation, so that the EU could be equipped with more powerful tools to compete with other global superpowers. 

We see reasons to be optimistic. Ahead of the summer recess, the EU countries have sent a clear signal that Europe believes in mobile solutions and 5G as enablers of the automotive industry. In a milestone vote, they have rejected plans to exclude mobile systems (including 5G) from self-driving standards.

Spotlight on Sustainable Development Goals and inclusiveness

New digital networks and services are there for the economy, but also – and most importantly – to help us overcome some of the biggest societal challenges of today. There is a vast area of influence that can be leveraged through improved digital access. From a European perspective, as much as €4 billion in value per day from digitization (aggregated, on services) could be achieved by 2030. In more practical terms, this corresponds to €7 per EU citizen per day, which can trigger a new wave of socio-economic growth.

If we broaden the scope a step further, reports show how access to digital connectivity is directly linked to major socio-economic improvements. The UN has put forward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with the aim of addressing major global challenges faced by communities across the globe. Studies identified a strong and positive link between digital access and the achievement of 65% of the SDGs.

We believe that exceptional opportunities and challenges require strong European political leadership in the technology space. We are committed to continue working with EU policy tech leaders, business representatives and citizen organizations in promoting an inclusive digital agenda for all EU citizens in the decades to come. Our participation in the panel session “Ministerial Roundtable: the role of government in 5G and high-capacity network deployment” at ITU Telecom World 2019 is an important step towards this goal.

Within the last ten years, our world has witnessed an explosion in the Internet of Things (IoT) and connected devices — from smartphones to smart homes, autonomous vehicles and smart cities. Millions of us now own at least one virtual assistants, in our pocket or our home. But the big question is who is actually listening when we talk to them?

We all understand that the IoT describes the network of devices that are connected via the Internet. In other words, because they are connected, these smart devices are able to share data with and amongst each other. Statista forecasts that 30.73 billion connected things will be in use in 2020 globally and that the total will reach 75.44 billion by 2025. Intel’s projection is even bigger — 200 billion connected devices by 2020.

Whether the estimation is true or false, a tremendous volume of data will be produced — 33 zettabytes in 2018 to 2,100 zettabytes in 2035. “New oil” is how some have to referred data, but for me, data is like air, an infinite resource that powers the IoT, striving to deliver the Internet’s promise of making the world a connected place.

So much so that our data-driven world is based on tracking, monitoring, listening, watching, and observing. The more advanced the data-processing systems, the better the output can be, which can be used to improve decision-making, enable innovation, empower personalization, and boost business revenue.

In other words, to reach data’s full potential, businesses need advanced data-processing systems, which most are incapable of. The data market is highly dominated by GAFAM — the five tech giants of Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, and Microsoft.

Due to the introduction of GDPR, they now have an exclusive opportunity to gain consent to track and analyse most of their customer’s behavior, click, touch and voice commands. This gives them enormous power in the advertising market, publicly practising monetising the user’s data, as they can provide companies with the best-fitting target groups through their advertising and targeting services.

It is intriguing to see that even though the end-users and their engagement data are so precious to the data economy, they are not part of the transaction, and are left with no clue as to how much their data are worth.

With regard to the announcement of the bill lodged in the US Congress to potentially oblige Google and Facebook to disclose every 90 days how much users data are valued – how would it be fair to only oblige Google and Facebook?

How about other private companies which are publicly economically benefiting from their users’ data, shouldn’t they disclose the information as well?

And shouldn’t the users be economically compensated for generating data value for those gigantic corporations and their third-parties?

In other words, the user’s role should be recognized and acknowledged as a significant digital value creator, and the new right should be enforced and strengthened — the right to monetise.

During the panel discussion on “Are you listening, Alexa? Security in connected devices” at ITU Telecom World 2019 in Budapest this September 11, I will once again address this data commercial issue, how soon advertisement search will be based on voice, and how quickly the GAFAM will dominate that market again – and finally, I will emphasize the right to monetise as the ultimate solution.