However, the equation is not yet balanced.
75% state current telecom infrastructure limits the ability to deliver on those ambitions. 45% suggest these limitations would delay, constrain, or entirely limit investments.
There is clearly a disconnect between the ambition and the ability to deliver.
At present, Europe lags the US and parts of Asia in areas such as network deployment, related investment levels, and scale.
What we must remember primarily is that AI does not happen without advanced, trusted and future-proofed networks. Infrastructure is not a “nice to have” it is a fundamental part.
If AI does not reach its full potential, EU competitiveness will suffer, economic growth will have a ceiling, the creation of new jobs will have a limit, and consumers will not see the benefits.
When we asked businesses during for our research, out of 15 potential options, the lack of adequate connectivity infrastructure came fourth.
Our telecom connectivity regulatory approach must be more closely aligned with the goal of fostering AI. That means progressing towards a genuine telecom single market, adopt a novel approach to competition policy to allow market consolidation leading to more investments, and ensuring connectivity is always secure and trusted.
