New communication targets 'anytime, anywhere' access to mobile broadband services
The Commission had published a new communication that aims to ensure that mobile broadband users are able to access data anytime and anywhere in Europe, which it sees as a vital precondition for future competitiveness. The biggest benefits of achieving this vision are likely to come in the form of productivity gains, according to the Commission. It gives the example of a mobile workforce linked to its company headquarters through mobile communications, able to exchange data at high speeds and thus improve working practices and efficiency. 'Mobile broadband services are an economic locomotive in their own right, but are also vital to sustain competitiveness throughout the economy,' said Enterprise and Information Society Commissioner Erkki Liikanen. 'Building on Europe's strength in the mobile communications sector, these new services will increase productivity by boosting labour efficiency in public services and business.' The key challenges that must be overcome are outlined in the communication, and top of the list is research and development (R&D). 'The share of GDP that Europe spends on R&D lags well behind that of its main trading partners. An R&D strategic agenda that supports innovation, including basic research, is needed,' the Commission states. Other requirements include the promotion of interoperability between mobile services; an improved regulatory framework for intellectual property rights in order to facilitate content development; the drawing up of rules on 'e-money' for mobile payments; and a coordinated European approach to the availability and usage of the mobile communications spectrum. 'All stakeholders, including Member States, need to address these issues together, to ensure that European does not miss out on the benefits that mobile broadband services can bring,' concluded Commissioner Liikanen.