The new trade organisation represents and brings together converged operators who build and run gigabit communications networks in Europe, replacing Cable Europe.
The new organisation was announced last November. A statement from the organisation said, “GIGAEurope’s members provide reliable and secure gigabit-speed connections to customers across Europe, offering world-class products and services, including converged fixed and mobile communications. Through the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, the essential nature of these services for the functioning of societies has become ever more apparent.
“As providers of such critical services, GIGAEurope’s members are all working to keep their respective countries connected despite huge increases in traffic load. They offer key services to governments as important parts of their response to the crisis, as well as reliable connections to families, friends, hospitals, businesses, schools and universities.”
European market
The association says it will advocate for policies that support the European Digital Single Market and enable the regulatory and market conditions that allow for sustainable investment and innovation in gigabit infrastructure and the IoT.
“We believe that European policies should be based on long-term objectives, with regulatory intervention strictly limited to situations where the market fails to provide efficient outcomes,” GIGAEurope’s website says.
Irina Varlan has been appointed as Managing Director of GIGAEurope. Previously, Varlan was General Counsel, Public Policy and Regulatory Director of UPC Romania, Liberty Global. Before that, she held senior management positions in international telecommunications companies including DHT Television, Telekom Romania and Metromedia International.
Manuel Kohnstamm, Senior Vice President and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Liberty Global, and Joakim Reiter, Group External Affairs Director, Vodafone Group, will be GIGAEurope’s co-chairs.