Highlights the challenge of ensuring a just digital transition and strengthening transatlantic ties
MADRID, 18 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The executive president of Telefónica, José María Álvarez-Pallete, has analyzed this Tuesday during the German Hispanic Forum, which is being held in Berlin, the challenges of this new digital era and has assured that Europe needs “urgently” to strengthen its strategic autonomy to overcome the current serious crisis.
“Europe needs to move to the next level with a sufficient strategic European culture to immediately develop Europe’s strategic autonomy”, stressed the group’s president during his speech.
Álvarez-Pallete has emphasized that the concept of strategic autonomy does not consist of a return to the old ideas of protectionism and isolationism, but that it must be built on “firm internal pillars” and cannot serve “to sow new fields of misunderstanding.”
“Strategic autonomy cannot be understood as a contrast between Atlanticism and Europeanism. It will allow a Europe that is more and better prepared to collaborate with its partners, and is also a fundamental step to strengthen transatlantic ties, relations between countries and global presence,” he said. underlined.
The manager has stressed the need to progress in European projects related to artificial intelligence, security, defense, information, communications, with smart fiber, 5G and ‘edge computing’ at the forefront.
Likewise, he highlighted the “key role” of telecommunications for the strategic autonomy of Europe, since he considers that they are “the door to the future”. “That is why it is so important that there is a robust and sustainable telecommunications sector”, Álvarez Pallete, who also chairs the GSMA Council, the association that encompasses both the largest telecommunications groups and small independent operators of wide scope, stressed. world.
The executive president of Telefónica has finished his speech by warning about the risks of facing the challenges of the 21st century with the rules of the past, which is reflected in a “clear asymmetry of Europe with respect to other regions”, and recommended betting on sovereignty digital.
“Of the fifty largest global companies in the ICT sector by market capitalization, only five are European, and they represent less than five percent of the total value. It is necessary to review the regulatory and competition framework of Europe to guarantee the contribution of all and bet on a Europe with values”, he pointed out.
For this reason, Álvarez Pallete has suggested that the regulations of the European Union encourage negotiations between operators and large traffic generators so that all the agents of the digital ecosystem contribute to the investment effort, repeating one of the main claims of the telecommunications sector to European level.
