| Number of views :1204
My speech yesterday where I set out how the EU plans to safeguard the open internet for all.Watch below, orcomment on the text here.
Blog of Neelie KROES
Vice-President of the European Commission
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Net neutrality – safeguarding the open internet for all
Wednesday, June 5th, 2013
Your EU rights as a telecoms user
Thursday, February 21st, 2013
| Number of views :5246
A few years ago the EU agreed a package of measures for the EU telecoms market. Those delivered important new rules and rights for people who use landlines, mobiles and the Internet – and that means you!
As is usual for such measures, those needed to be put into national law by governments before taking effect. And now, the remaining few national governments have confirmed to the Commission that they have done this – meaning these new laws would now apply throughout the EU.
That’s great news. It means that all EU citizens would now benefit from significant new rights, like: Read the full entry
Calling all small businesses with bright ideas for e-Health!
Friday, January 25th, 2013
| Number of views :3481
New technology can do a huge amount for healthcare. From telecare that helps the vulnerable be cared for without leaving home—to simple smartphone apps that let people take control of their own healthy living.
And many of these innovations come from smaller and medium-sized companies. Last year TIC Biomed set up an EU SME e-Health competition to reward the smartest ideas from across Europe. I was delighted to personally congratulate the winners – from Denmark, Germany, Italy, and Spain – who came up with fresh and varied innovations that help technology boost healthcare and improve lives.
This year they’re repeating the challenge. And small and medium-sized businesses with bright e-Health ideas have until next Thursday, 31 January, to register. Winners will be announced at this year’s e-Health week, in Dublin in May – potentially offering you the visibility and marketing you need to attract customers, partners and capital. Full details are on the website http://www.ehealthcompetition.eu/.
Broadband for all: new regulatory certainty to allow investment in the next generation
Thursday, July 12th, 2012
| Number of views :14413
Regular readers of this blog will know how central broadband targets are to our digital agenda. By 2020, I want half of all Europeans with broadband subscriptions at 100 Megabit/s or higher.
We’re going to need those high speeds: and the “next generation” fibre networks to support them. Those great new great apps and services – like the cloud, smart cities, or e-Health — won’t all be able to run properly on the copper networks that underlie today’s ADSL connections. But choking off those services will choke off tomorrow’s growth. We need strong, healthy companies to invest in the necessary infrastructure – and to compete to invest where it makes sense.
You may recall that, starting last October, we consulted on how to use the EU’s regulatory framework to achieve some of these goals, exploring a number of ideas and a number of models. And today I announce the decisions I am taking. Read the full entry
I meet Chief Information Officers and find out how broadband boosts business
Friday, April 20th, 2012
| Number of views :5753
It was really nice today to meet the members of CIONET again – IT leaders from businesses around Europe, showing what new technology and systems can do for businesses.
I’d asked them to give me evidence about what the “digital agenda” means for them: like what fast broadband can do for their business. And the report they have compiled with INSEAD is great reading. It shows the positive difference of fast connections. And the great things they can do to boost their business if they do have consistently fast broadband – like get all those great cloud benefits.
They also let me know some of the things we could do to help out Europe’s businesses – like promoting open competitive telecoms markets, and cutting excessive data roaming charges. I’m committed to delivering both of those – despite pressure from certain parts of the telecoms sector to actually reduce levels of competition.
And we got to discuss the common challenges facing us – on the one hand as policymakers in the Commission, on the other as those responsible for managing huge IT systems in the private sector. In particular I highlighted to them the huge opportunities of ICT employment in the year to come. And it’s clear that CIOs are already aware of these issues – in particular that increasing outsourcing means they are not always able to train ICT staff for the long term.
So I invited them to join me in a grand coalition for ICT jobs. I am glad they agreed with me that this would be a win-win. On the one hand, doing justice to today’s young people by providing them with the tools to access future opportunities; on the other, ensuring businesses will get the human resources they are going to need for sure in the future.
Plus I was there to reward some of the most successful CIOs – people who’ve shown what ICT can deliver for big businesses. Well done to all of them! You can see more about the event – and the awards here; and the INSEAD study on the business benefits of broadband here.
Are you a Tech All-Star? Now seeking EU start-up talent!
Thursday, March 22nd, 2012
| Number of views :10361
I was really inspired last year visiting Silicon Valley and seeing the fearless approach start-ups have over there. In my many visits and events across Europe, I’ve seen that we have the same talent over here – and could start seeing the same kind of results, too. Read the full entry