BROWSING: EU

What’s the outlook for millimeter wave 5G in the EU (and UK)?

U.S. regulators have been very bullish around the role of millimeter wave frequencies for 5G service, opening vast swaths of high-band spectrum for auction. Millimeter wave was used for Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile 5G launches, although the first two operators are tapping dynamic spectrum...

5G should cover 70% of industrial sites by 2025, tech sector tells EU leaders

By 2025, 5G connections should cover 40 per cent of Europe’s workforce, 70 per cent of its industrial sites, and 80 per cent of its main logistics routes. This was the message from DigitalEurope, the trade association for the European tech industry, at the...

European Commission signs off €82m for 20 smart city projects in 17 countries

The European Commission has made €82 million available to 20 smart city projects to design technology solutions for urban security, digital transition, urban land use, and urban poverty. The investment, from a total European Regional development Fund (EDRF) budget of €372 million for urban innovative...

Europe reveals four-step AI plan, €20 billion AI funding target, €66m robotics fund

The European Commission (EC) has stepped up its strategy to foster AI in the region, with a four-step plan and a target of €20 billion of private and public investments by the end of 2020, and €20 billion per year afterwards. The EC will contribute...

Does GDPR portend a cross-border data privacy policy? (Reality Check)

The recent data privacy scandal surrounding Facebook and Cambridge Analytica has opened up an interesting period of collective soul-searching regarding huge tech firms that operate utilizing “big” data. The overarching question that is being asked and, frankly, still needs to be answered is “what...

EC offers cities Wi-Fi vouchers in €120m drive for free public internet access

The European Commission (EC) is inviting municipal authorities to apply for €15,000 vouchers to finance Wi-Fi equipment and installation in public spaces. Vouchers worth €17.75 million in total will be made available to 1,183 municipalities in European Union (EU) member states in the next...

Brexit-bound UK follows EU with its own £1bn AI stimulus

The UK government has announced a £1 billion ($1.4bn) joint investment to stimulate the country’s artificial intelligence (AI) industry. The deal includes £600 million of additional funding, comprising £300 million of private sector investment from 50 technology firms, matched by £300 million of newly allocated...

From drone-mounted AI to smart-city blockchains: five EU innovation projects

In the face of rising political disruption, the European Commission (EC) has in recent weeks redoubled its innovation schedule with new commitments to artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain and digital healthcare applications. Here, we pick five of its best Horizon 2020 projects, covering everything from drone-mounted...

Brussels wants “hard cash” for digital change to keep pace with US, China

The European Commission (EC) has called for both national governments and private enterprises to contribute to the region’s digital transformation programme from 2021. If new finances are not secured from regional administrations and private sources, the progress the region has made with data privacy...

Europe agrees major blockchain partnership and DNA data-sharing deal

The public sector in Europe will come to depend on blockchain technology. This was the claim by the European Commission (EC) as it announced major cross-border deals on blockchain and digital healthcare to address challenges of fragmentation and interoperability, accelerate the launch of new...

Europe hails transcontinental 5G road network for testing driverless cars

Brussels claims a pan-European network of 5G-enabled roadways, stretching hundreds of kilometres, is emerging, as new countries confirm cross-border testing of 5G-enabled driverless cars. The European Commission will provide €50 million for new autonomous driving projects in support of the new 5G roadways. “This will...

25 countries join forces in major European AI collaboration

Twenty five European countries have signed a declaration to jointly develop artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and solutions. The new commitment is further evidence of the gathering political view of AI as an economic power play. It follows France’s €1.5 billion AI package last month, which...

5G deployment worth $127 billion per year to EU countries

A new European Commission-supported study details the expected costs and benefits of 5G deployment in the European Union’s 28 member states. The cost of 5G deployment in the European Union’s (EU) 28 member states could reach €56 billion ($63 billion) in 2020, according to a...

California small cell ruling, iPhone 7 arrival … 5 things to know today

1. California cities have the right to block small cell permits based on aesthetic concerns, according to a state appeals court. Plaintiffs T-Mobile US, Crown Castle and ExteNet argued state law gives them the right to install equipment “in such manner and at such...

All about the European Commission’s new 5G action plan

The European Commission has proposed a new 5G action plan aiming to ensure 5G is fully deployed across the European Union by 2025. On the occasion of European Commission (EC) president Jean-Claude Juncker’s 2016 State of the Union address on Wednesday, the EC proposed an overhaul...

European Union wants $14.5 billion in back taxes from Apple

Apple CEO Tim Cook says tax decision will hurt European investment and job creation Based on a more than two-year investigation, the European Commission announced Apple, which headquarters its European operation in Ireland, illegally received undue tax benefits from the country worth a whopping $14.5 billion. Commissioner...

5G: A bargaining chip for Europe's telecom industry

Are telcos bluffing or will the development of 5G depend on the regulatory agenda? Last week, Europe’s telecom industry warned policymakers that the business case for "5G" is hanging in the balance. Ensuring the elephant in the 5G room was well and truly visible, the...

5G: A bargaining chip for Europe’s telecoms industry

Are telcos bluffing or will the development of 5G depend on the regulatory agenda? Last week, Europe’s telecoms industry warned policymakers that the business case for 5G is hanging in the balance. Ensuring the elephant in the 5G room was well and truly visible, the...

EMEA: EU roaming no more

It’s finally done. As of 2 a.m. the EU has brokered a deal to ban all EU roaming charges by 2017. The deal is part of the Europe 2020 initiative and belongs to an effort entitled Connected Continent. The Latvians led this compromise among the...

EMEA: EU lays out plans for digital single market

The European Commission unveiled plans  on May 6 to create a single market for digital technologies across the 28-member European Union. The plan, which took six months to develop, is comprised of 16 initiatives organized around three goals: to create better access for consumers...

EMEA: EU competition head takes tough stance on telecom consolidation

While a flurry of telecom deals are underway in Europe, the new European Union competition commissioner, Margrete Vestager, is starting to stake out a position against too much consolidation on the continent. Speaking in a video interview with The Deal, Vestager said that she...

EMEA: Denmark named most digital country in EU; Romania the least

A new European Commission digital study showed growing Internet use in Europe, but also highlighted a deep geographical divide across the continent. Northern European countries led the rankings in the new Digital Economy and Society Index, which was presented this week in Brussels. Denmark topped the list,...

EMEA: Roaming charges ‘not’ going away

2015 was supposed to be the year that EU roaming charges went away. It’s been delayed again – say it isn’t so. As a mobile operator I can see them jumping for joy, but as a consumer and business traveler I can’t say I agree. In...

EMEA: Industry groups challenge EU’s approach to net neutrality

Four industry groups issued a statement  on Jan. 26 that the European Union's proposed net neutrality rules shouldn't force them to treat traffic on their networks equally. The statement was backed by ETNO, GSMA, Cable Europe and Make the Net Work – groups that represent a number of carriers...