Future Connectivity
Commission in bid to ensure ‘70% of EU adults’ have digital skills
The European Commission has laid out ambitious new goals for upskilling and reskilling its citizens by 2025, including the objective of ensuring that 70% of the EU adult population has basic digital skills.
The new ERA must do more for gender equality
As we slowly emerge from the coronavirus outbreak in Europe, one thing is clear – it has brought to the front various aspects of gender equality issues in Research and Innovation (R&I), writes Marcela Linkova.
Lack of strategy leaves Bulgaria last in terms of digital performance
For a second consecutive year, Bulgaria is ranked last among all 27 EU members in the European Commission’s Digital Economy and Society Index, despite having a powerful IT sector, concentrated mostly in the capital Sofia.
MEP: Europe’s digital education strategy is key to future recovery
As part of the European Commission's recently revised long-term budget proposal, an increased outlay could go towards the digital up-skilling and re-skilling of citizens. EURACTIV caught up with MEP Victor Negrescu to talk about why this issue has risen to the top of the EU agenda.
Connecting Europe’s forgotten regions
As part of a raft of commitments to be announced by the European Council today (9 June), EU member states will renew their commitment to bridging the gap across Europe's connectivity divides, as certain territories on the continent continue to be isolated from more developed parts of the bloc.
Finnish telecom operators share new 5G spectrum, as Nokia boosts broadband business
Finnish telecom operators Telia, Elisa and Telenor-owned DNA all won frequencies at the country’s auction of new high-speed 5G mobile networks on Monday, the Ministry of Transport and Communications said.
Changes in education as a result of COVID-19 crisis are here to stay, experts say
As lockdown measures are relaxed and schools reopen across Europe, EURACTIV has interviewed experts on whether the pandemic could have a long-lasting impact on education systems in Europe, and they said changes are here to stay.
UK in 5G talks with suppliers from Japan, South Korea
British officials have discussed supplies of 5G networking equipment with companies in South Korea and Japan as part of a bid to develop alternatives to China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, a person with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
Combat 5G COVID-19 fake news, urges Europe
European Union (EU) nations banking on 5G to boost economic growth are eager to tackle conspiracy theories linking the wireless technology to the spread of the novel coronavirus that have seen masts torched in several places.
Commission sets sights on digital-savvy citizens
The European Commission has reiterated the importance of up-skilling adults and young people across the bloc, in order to make European workers more agile in the post-coronavirus digital economy. Speaking as part of an event hosted by Digital Europe on...
Helping disengaged young people in times of pandemic
A European-wide project was supporting young disengaged when the COVID-19 outbreak started. EURACTIV has spoken to the organizers about how they adapted to challenging circumstances.
In Germany’s new 5G security criteria, SPD sees a “blunt sword”
The German Interior Ministry wants to check whether manufacturers of 5G components are trustworthy. For SPD digital politician Falko Mohrs, this does not go far enough. He demands a political security check, fed with secret service information. EURACTIV Germany reports.
German-German dispute over fibre optic funding to be decided in Brussels
The European Commission is examining German plans to support the fibre optic industry. The Christian Democrat (CDU/CSU) parliamentary group asked for early approval, while the fixed network industry association BREKO is opposed to the measures. EURACTIV Germany has seen both letters.
Vestager urges EU member states not to backtrack on 5G
The European Commission's Vice-President for Digital, Margrethe Vestager, has urged EU telecoms ministers to "limit as much as possible" any delays to their 5G spectrum assignments, amid the current challenges to the industry brought on by the coronavirus crisis.
Croatian Presidency pushes for new Commission 5G and 6G action plan
The European Commission is under pressure to propose a revised Action Plan for 5G and 6G mobile telecommunications as a means to bolster the bloc's connectivity, according to a draft text from the Croatian Presidency of the EU seen by EURACTIV.
Erasmus students in limbo about losing grants from COVID lockdown
Some 65% of the students who are in Erasmus exchange programmes but subject to confinement measures do not yet know if they will keep or return the grant that was disbursed for their studies, while 7% said they will not get any, according to a report by the Erasmus Students Network (ESN).
Private sector jumps in to fill youth skills gap
Youth unemployment remains a lingering issue in Europe. While the public sector has a central role to play in supporting young people in the transition from education to work, private companies can also contribute to closing the skills gap.
Europe, stay strong: Spring is coming
It’s sunny and warm in Shenzhen now, and the restaurants and cafes are serving lunch to young professionals and workers in the open air. Abraham Liu, Huawei Vice President for the European Region paints a picture of life in China, as the country gets overs the recent public health crisis.
LEAK: EU in push for digital transformation after COVID-19 crisis
EU Member States and the European Commission should "thoroughly analyse the experiences gained from the COVID-19 pandemic" in order to inform future policies across the entire spectrum of the digital domain, leaked Council documents seen by EURACTIV reveal.
5G coronavirus conspiracy theory is dangerous fake nonsense, UK says
A conspiracy theory that links 5G mobile telecommunications masts to the spread of the novel coronavirus is dangerous fake news and completely false, Britain said on Saturday (4 April) after masts in several parts of the country were torched.
Huawei: Chinese government would not let us get ‘slaughtered’ by US
A top official of the telecommunications giant Huawei has said that Beijing may consider counter-measures should the United States choose to impose further restrictions on exports of American equipment to be used by the Chinese firm.
‘NEETs’: A youth group at high risk of poverty and exclusion
Education and skills gaps are not only a challenge for businesses seeking to recruit, they also make poverty and social exclusion more likely among young people who are excluded from labour and education at the same time.
Expert : Germany could use EU presidency to shape EU-China relations
In an interview with EURACTIV Germany, director of the Asia programme of the European Council of Foreign Relations, Dr Janka Oertel, described how Germany could play a pivotal role in changing the EU's relations with China and might even force the exclusion of Huawei from the planned 5G expansion across the EU.
