ITU Regional Forum for Europe: 5G strategies, policies and implementation
Virtual event
22 October 2020
Opening Remarks
10:00-10:15
Doreen Bogdan
Director, Telecommunication Development Bureau
Secretary of State in charge of Digital Affairs, Chancellery of the Prime Minister, Republic of Poland
Colleagues from the Europe Region,
Ladies and gentlemen,
I am delighted to welcome you all to this Regional Forum for Europe on 5G strategies, policies and implementation, organized by the International Telecommunication Union, with the support of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland.
Europe has some of the most advanced economies in the world, and is leading in access and use of ICTs.
According to ITU's “Measuring Digital Development: Fact and Figures" annual report, the European region has the highest Internet usage rates, averaging 82.5 per cent of individuals actively connected, 92.3 per cent mobile network coverage by LTE, and 118.4 mobile subscriptions per every 100 inhabitants.
Europe's combination of strong connectivity, enabling regulatory environment and its vibrant ecosystem of digital technologies and services have proven to be fundamental in ensuring the Region's resilience during this COVID-19 pandemic.
As highlighted during the 20th edition of the Global Symposium for Regulators this past September, Governments (and private sector) responses ensured continuity of operations while strengthening digital transformation within their countries.
The pandemic has exacerbated existing digital divides and demonstrated the crucial role of digitalization in all sectors.
At ITU, we are fully committed to making sure digital technologies and connectivity are aimed at reducing these gaps, and that regulation is driven by the highest standards of fifth-generation regulation (G5 regulation), based on inclusive and collaborative practices.
As you all may know, the World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 opened up the opportunity to introduce innovative and advanced services in the field of telecommunications, by identifying spectrum for International Mobile Telecommunications 2020 —otherwise known as 5G.
By paving the way for new and more innovative ways to connect, these international agreements can positively impact the lives of billions of people around the world, and create a digital landscape for sustainable growth and development.
This Regional Forum for Europe, organized within the framework of the ITU Regional Initiative for Europe on “broadband infrastructure, broadcasting and spectrum management", will address regional and national 5G strategies as well as the main challenges to 5G implementation. It will thereby provide the space to discuss and identify priority actions to be adopted in the Region.
It cannot be denied that 5G has the potential to bring concrete benefits to all sectors of industry and society.
While Europe advances rapidly on 5G implementation, we must ensure that these dynamics leave no space for creating new divides.
According to ITU's recent study titled, “Connecting Humanity - Assessing investment needs of connecting humanity to the Internet by 2030", an estimated global investment of over 400 billion USD is required to reach the unconnected.
Only in Europe and Central Asia, over 33 billion USD are needed over the next 10 years. With the rapid expansion of 5G, these numbers will be even higher. This requires a solid return on investment, which can be ensured by a favourable enabling environment.
ITU has prepared a very rich programme and background papers for this Forum, with the aim of advancing the 5G agenda in the region.
Just as the deployment of 4G was carried out across Europe with a strong focus on leaving no one behind, it is now our duty to ensure that an enabling regulatory environment sustains the deployment of 5G, in a way that connectivity is leveraged by all and for all.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Let me conclude by congratulating the Government of the Republic of Poland for great progress achieved so far in the field of 5G, and for collaborating with ITU in organizing this virtual conference.
Let me also express sincere thanks to the European Commission, BEREC, the Eastern Partnership as well as CEPT for continuous collaboration in creating an enabling environment for 5G.
I wish you all a very fruitful forum.
Thank you.
