The European Commission yesterday (19 October) announced it would pour €9.2 billion into projects for the deployment of fibre optic cables to deliver faster internet, more jobs and more revenues.
The plan is one element of the Connecting Europe Facility, a €50 billion fund for EU infrastructure development unveiled the same day.
The European Commission has set ambitious targets (see Background) for faster internet in the EU but a lack of investment in fibre networks has cast doubt over the targets' realisation.
According to the Commissioner for the Digital Agenda, Neelie Kroes, a 10% boost in internet penetration could raise GDP levels by up to 1.5%. However some lobbyists argue the Commission's plan jars with companies' battle to get private sector investment into fibre
Caroline Van Weede, the Managing Director from Cable Europe warns that EU funding could "kill the will for private investment if the market figures that the state will just pour money in if you wait around long enough."
An estimated €270 billion is reportedly required for fibre in Europe. Big telcos like France Telekom have put forward plans for fibre networks but these reach densely populated areas with an obvious business case for faster internet.
"Public investment, just like aid in the developing world, should go where the need is most urgent," Van Weede continued.
Other telco lobbies gave the funds a cautious welcome, emphasisng that they should go to low populated areas where companies are afraid they will not turn a profit.
Although public funding has a key role to play in those specific areas where commercial deployments are not viable, the Digital Agenda goals will only be achieved through massive private investment”, said Luigi Gambardella from the European Telecoms and Network Operators association.
The Commission is taking heed of the effects state funding in other regions which have made substantial investments in fibre. In Japan, 12% of citizens, consumers and companies have access to ultra fast internet via fibre networks. In Korea, the figure is 15%. In the EU fibre penetartion ranges from 1 to 3%.
Sources from smaller operators complain that big telcos could easily make the costly investment in fibre networks but do not as they already turn substantial profits on the older copper infrastructure. In a recent interview, even Kroes alluded to big telcos reluctance in rolling out fibre because it entailed a business risk.
Kroes recently attempted to address the cumbersome transition from copper to fibre by announcing that the EU would make telco lower access prices to copper, hurting profits on these networks.
The commissioner said she was interested to explore a new pricing model” to make the transition by upping regulation on incumbents who own the copper networks.
