• Neelie Kroes, Vice President and EU Commissioner for Digital Agenda, European Commission
• The Hon Ed Vaizey MP, Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, UK Government
• Chris Fonteijn, Elected Chairperson BEREC 2011 and Chairman of the Regulatory Authority of the Netherlands (ΟPTA)
• William E.Kennard, US Ambassador to the EU, US Department of State
• Monique Goyens, Director General, BEUC (European Consumers’ Organisation)
• Maxime Lombardini, CEO, Iliad Group
• Olivier Campenon, President France and EMEA, BT
• Pilar del Castillo MEP, Rapporteur for the European Digital Agenda, European Parliament
• Malcolm Harbour MEP, Chairman of the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee, European Parliament
• Harald Gruber, Head of ICT and e-Economy Division, European Investment Bank
• Sam Paltridge, Head of Telecoms Section, OECD
• Catherine Trautmann MEP, Rapporteur for the Better Regulation Directive, European Parliament
• Adina-Ioana Valean MEP, Vice Chairwoman, Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, European Parliament

Debates will be chaired by a wide range of industry and media experts including Stanley Pignal, Telecoms Correspondent at the Financial Times and Denis McCauley, Director, Global Technology Research, of the Economist Intelligence Unit.  Conference speakers and attendees include senior representatives from the European Commission, national Governments, the European Parliament, consumers and business users, regulators, experts and operators.

Click here for full conference programme

Summary

As the European Commission sets ambitious targets for 100Mbit/s broadband across Europe, we will focus at this year’s ECTA conference on delivery. What does industry need to deliver broadband Europe and how can national Governments and regulators rise to the challenge? We will be looking at the implications of the long-awaited Commission Recommendation on next generation access, and examining how access rules and prices will be set as we transition from legacy copper to modern fibre networks and all-IP. This year will also see the beginning of important new debates on the openness of the Internet (net neutrality), the potential extension of universal service regimes to broadband and permanent solutions to achieve a roaming-free Europe as well as political negotiations on spectrum management following the digital switch-over. Our conference will provide an opportunity for a free and open exchange on present experience and the future direction of regulation in the sector from leading figures in the European Commission, Parliament, national Governments, regulators, experts, consumer groups and the industry.

Topics

• 100Mbit/s broadband: how can we achieve the EU2020 objectives?
• Who should pay for universal broadband? Can co-investment models work?
• Can the EU Telecoms Framework be properly implemented or is European Telecoms in need of more radical structural change?
• What will the proposed spectrum policy programme deliver? Is Europe open for business? Can 27 regulatory rules meet the needs of multi-nationals?
• What will the anticipated Commission NGA Recommendation mean for industry and regulators?
• Is the price right? Have we paid too much for copper?
• Net Neutrality – justified network management or anti-competitive blocking?
• Is there a long term solution for ‘roaming’?
• Should EU rules on data protection be reopened?
• Who should police copyright violations?

Click here for full conference programme