What a refreshing evening—hearing industry leaders showcase the strength of the telecom sector and its vital contribution to Europe’s #competitiveness.
A full room, a lively debate, and a clear message: challenger telecom operators are essential enablers of Europe's digital and economic future.
A heartfelt thank you to all the speakers and guests who made this event a success
A Tale of Hidden Champions: The Telecom Challengers Reshaping Europe’s Competitiveness
In September 2024, Mario Draghi published the report “The Future of European Competitiveness.” Among the diverse topics and challenges addressed in the report are the future of the telecommunications sector in Europe. One of its recommendations is to reduce the country-level ex ante regulation to foster scale. A few larger telecommunications companies resulting from such measures should then operate within a uniformly defined EU market rather than across 27 national markets, expanding their reach and customer base.
While the report outlines key strategies, it overlooks the significant progress already made by challenger telecom providers—both national and pan-European—who are actively driving digitalization, fostering economic growth, and enabling businesses to embrace innovation. Their contributions not only secure their own digital future but also enhance the competitiveness of enterprises across Europe.
Yet, who are these key players? What are their business models? How do they contribute to the EU’s digital transformation? And what role do ex-ante regulation and competition play in shaping this evolving landscape? These pivotal questions extend beyond the Draghi report and deserve further attention. Addressing them is essential for shaping strategic priorities in the new legislative period, accelerating digitalization, and strengthening the EU’s global competitiveness.
The discussion will analyse the current landscape and explore what these companies need to maximize their impact. It will highlight how they drive investment and groundbreaking innovation, while also examining why their contributions must be better reflected in policymaking—ensuring that future legislation effectively supports Europe’s digital future.
Agenda
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17h00 - Registration
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17h35 - Welcome:
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Luc Hindryckx, Director General, ecta
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Dr Marc Schütze, Board Member, VATM
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17h45 - 19h05 Panel discussion: A Tale of Hidden Champions: The Telecom Challengers Reshaping Europe’s Competitiveness
- Moderator: James Robinson, Senior Analyst, Assembly Research
- Panellists:
- Annette Murphy, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), Colt
- Renate Nikolay, Deputy Director-General, European Commission, DG CONNECT
- Robert Mourik, Commissioner at ComReg and BEREC Chair 2025
- Markus Hendrich, Chief Executive Officer, ecotel
- Michał Kobosko, MEP, Groupe Renew Europe
- 19h05 Closing remark
Luc Hindryckx, Director General, ecta
- 19h10 Networking Reception
Venue
Rue de La Loi 75, Brussels, 1040, Belgium
The access to the event is also possible via the "Thon Passage " next to 18 rue Jacques de Lalaing
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| ecta, the european competitive telecommunications association (www.ectaportal.com), represents those alternative operators who, relying on the pro-competitive EU legal framework that has created a free market for electronic communications, have helped overcome national monopolies to give EU citizens, businesses and public administrations quality and choice at affordable prices. ecta represents at large those operators who are driving the development of an accessible Gigabit society, who represent significant investments in fixed, mobile and fixed wireless access networks that qualify as Very High Capacity Networks and who demonstrate unique innovation capabilities. |
