EU Presidency as a defining moment for Ireland’s Digital Infrastructure
As Ireland assumes the Presidency of the Council of the European Union today, the coming months will be pivotal in shaping the future of Europe’s digital infrastructure landscape. As an active member of FTTH Council Europe, SIRO welcomes the Council’s call for the Irish Presidency to prioritise two key legislative proposals: the Digital Networks Act (DNA) and the Cybersecurity Act (CSA), both of which will play a critical role in determining whether Europe can achieve the connectivity, competitiveness and resilience ambitions set out in the EU’s Digital Decade Policy Programme.
The Digital Networks Act proposes one of the most significant reforms of European telecommunications policy in recent years. At its core, the legislation seeks to create the regulatory conditions necessary to accelerate investment in next-generation networks, promote effective competition and support the transition away from legacy copper based to fibre infrastructure. For countries such as Ireland, where substantial investment has already been made in full-fibre deployment, the framework established by the DNA will be critical in determining how quickly the country can complete the transition to future-proof connectivity.
For SIRO, the proposed copper switch-off framework represents an important opportunity to accelerate the adoption of full-fibre infrastructure across Ireland and Europe. Continuing to operate legacy and modern networks in parallel fragments investment, increases operational costs and delays the realisation of the economic, social and environmental benefits that full-fibre connectivity can deliver. Establishing a clear and predictable migration pathway will help ensuring consumers and businesses can benefit from future-proof connectivity. As FTTH Council Europe Vice President for Public Affairs, Francesco Nonno recently stated, “The copper switch off proposed in the DNA is a balanced measure to give access to fibre to everyone, everywhere”.
Alongside the Digital Networks Act, the proposed Cybersecurity Act will play a vital role in strengthening the resilience and security of Europe’s telecommunications infrastructure. The legislation and its prioritisation currently reflect the increasingly strategic importance of digital connectivity to Europe’s economy and society. As telecommunications networks become ever more critical to sectors such as healthcare, education, government services, artificial intelligence and industry, no one argues that ensuring their resilience and security is essential.
However, from telecom operators’ perspective, it is also essential that the Cybersecurity Act does not undermine investment in fibre networks, deployment and Europe reaching its Digital Decade targets.
Equally, this policy must be fair, proportionate to the needs it is required to meet and prioritise evidence and risk-based decision making. To do this, before any CSA measures are enacted a comprehensive assessment of the scale, costs, and operational impact is required. This will better ensure that an even balance is struck between protecting European security with the need to ensure that investment in EU telecoms networks continues and that end users have choice and competition in the broadband market.
As Ireland leads negotiations on these two important files, there is a significant opportunity to help shape a regulatory framework that supports investment, strengthens security and accelerates Europe’s transition to full-fibre infrastructure. For SIRO, the priorities are clear: creating the conditions to accelerate fibre adoption, supporting the managed retirement of legacy copper networks and ensuring that Ireland’s future connectivity infrastructure remains secure, resilient and globally competitive.