Telecoms regulation
MEPs and ministers hit back on EU plan for longer spectrum licenses
MEPs and national ministers are stripping down an EU proposal to change how wireless radio spectrum is sold to telecoms companies.
MEPs to give telecoms regulators new muscle to police big firms
MEPs in charge of a sweeping new telecoms reform want to give national watchdogs new powers to control operators in countries where there is not enough competition.
Gabriel confirmed as new EU digital chief
Mariya Gabriel was confirmed Tuesday (4 July) as the next EU digital Commissioner and will become the youngest person ever to take on a top Commission post.
Member states and tech firms wary of EU ‘data flows’ plan
Tech companies want the European Commission to propose new legislation in autumn that they hope will bring down data storage costs in some countries. But rumoured changes have worried firms that France could pressure the executive to weaken the rules.
EU telecoms watchdog: ‘We are independent and we bother powerful people’
Sébastien Soriano spoke to EURACTIV about what Yoda can teach us about EU telecoms law, accusations that he is lobbying to change draft rules, net neutrality and the likely new Digital Commissioner Mariya Gabriel.
Gabriel breezes through cozy hearing on way to top EU digital job
Mariya Gabriel, the 38-year-old Bulgarian MEP tipped to become the new EU digital chief, told MEPs during her approval hearing that she wants to “comply” with the European Commission's policy priorities.
Mobile roaming fees disappear, but MEPs want more EU rules
European mobile phone contracts are required to charge domestic rates for calls, SMS and data use when users travel in the EU starting today (15 June), capping off a ten-year fight to get rid of roaming fees.
The Brief, powered by Eni: EU wants us out of the roam zone
Hats off to the European Commission for squeezing two crowd-pleasing stories into one week. Just yesterday, Jean-Claude Juncker celebrated the 1 million 'Erasmus babies' (TMI, really) during a celebration of the programme. Tomorrow the EU wants to score again when it gets rid of mobile roaming fees within Europe.
Digital development plan promotes EU tech laws
A new European Commission aid plan promises to channel more development funds into building internet networks in Africa, in the hope that the bloc's fresh privacy and net neutrality rules could become a template for other countries.
Member states want to change investment rules in telecoms overhaul
EU countries have changed measures on network investment in a major telecoms bill and are kicking negotiations into the second half of this year.
Member states want looser data rules in draft ePrivacy bill
EU member states are divided over a proposal to change privacy rules for telecoms operators, with some countries calling for looser rules on when they can use consumers' personal data.
Proximus CEO: High quality Belgian network ‘is reflected in the price’
Belgium has higher mobile phone prices than many other countries in Europe because of the high quality of its network, Dominique Leroy told EURACTIV.com. Looking forward, she said more spectrum was badly needed to cope with soaring demand for mobile data.
Thirteen member states double down on opposition to EU spectrum rules
A group of thirteen EU member states have doubled down on a pushback by national governments against the European Commission's proposed changes to radio spectrum policy, arguing it will sweep away their powers to auction off spectrum to telecoms operators.
Fifteen countries ask for EU legislation on data flows
Ministers from 15 EU countries have asked the European Commission to focus on removing barriers to digital trade one week before the executive presents a mid-term review of its flagship Digital Single Market policies.
Europe’s digital union is stuck in Brussels
A draft EU telecoms law could cause major economic growth and create jobs, but there is a high risk it could be diluted by the Brussels compromise machine, write Steven Tas and Lise Fuhr.
EU to propose new rules targeting encrypted apps in June
The European Commission will propose new measures in June to make it easier for police to access data on internet messaging apps like WhatsApp, EU Justice Commissioner Věra Jourová said yesterday (28 March), heeding calls from national interior ministers.
Regulating digital services
The draft European Electronic Communication Code (EECC) aims to adapt end-user protection to the digital era and ensure that telecoms rules focus on the sector’s specific needs.
Sébastien Soriano, 2017 BEREC chair and president on EECC: Regulators’ priorities in 2017
Sébastien Soriano discusses the main priorities for regulators in 2017 with respect to the new Electronic Communications Code, as EU institutions line-up to deliver increased benefits to Europeans.
Dreaming big can help reform gigabit society
Europe’s digital transformation will connect previously-isolated rural communities and create jobs in multiple sectors, as well as improving individual wellbeing through eHealth solutions and encouraging SMEs to flourish, writes Pierre Louette.
Top telecoms regulator takes aim at Commission plan for cybersecurity labels
The top EU telecoms regulator criticised the European Commission's plans to introduce this spring a labelling scheme to rank the cybersecurity of internet-connected devices, arguing it would only reinforce big tech companies' dominance.
‘Goodbye roaming’: EU clears final hurdle to end mobile charges abroad
The European Union clinched a preliminary deal early on Wednesday (31 January) to cap wholesale charges telecom operators pay each other when their customers use their mobile phones abroad, paving the way for the abolition of roaming fees in June.
Ansip: Abolishing mobile roaming charges tests the EU’s credibility
The European Union's digital chief Andrus Ansip said that failure to solve the last remaining barrier to abolishing mobile roaming charges across the bloc in June would lead people to question its ability to deliver on promises.
Chinese messaging app WeChat courts European business for ad sales and e-commerce
Messaging and e-commerce app WeChat is courting European businesses to advertise and sell to its more than 700 million users in China.
Telecoms firms and internet services like WhatsApp face tougher new privacy rules
Telecoms providers will face fines of up to €20 million or 4% of global turnover if they're caught breaking new EU privacy rules that will also hit firms processing vast amounts of machine data in the internet of things.
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Orange is one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators present in 29 countries with sales of 40,9 billion euros in 2016, 154,000 employees and 265 million customers worldwide at 31 March 2017.
In Europe, the Group is present in 7 countries (Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain) with a total of 135 million customers and 104 000 employees by Q2 2016. Orange is also a leading provider of global IT and telecommunication services to multinational companies, under the brand Orange Business Services.
In March 2015, the Group presented its new strategic plan “Essentials2020” which places customer experience at the heart of its strategy with the aim of allowing them to benefit fully from the digital universe and the power of its new generation networks.
See our positions on:
In September 2016, the European Commission published its proposal for a directive establishing the European Electronic Communications Code. This new legal framework is of utmost importance for Orange and the future of connectivity in Europe. On this webpage, you will find our positions regarding several aspects of the Code: its objectives, access, spectrum, and services.
The digital era brings important transformations to our everyday lives, whether it be personally or professionally. The continued digitalisation of everyday activities generates considerable volumes of communications and data. This phenomena is amplified by technological factors (multiplication of intelligent sensors, internet of objects…) and behavioural factors (increase in the use of on-line services, such as e-commerce, more of our personal lives being on-line…). The internet is transforming into a vast ocean of data, of which a large part is personal data, produced by users themselves.
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