Our key policy priorities

The FTTH Council Europe considers that fibre networks are fundamental to the digital transformation of European economies and that the objectives of the Digital Decade need to be reached in a timely fashion.

To this end, the FTTH Council Europe considers it essential to maintain a favourable regulatory framework for fibre investment in a competitive environment. The existing framework has delivered, and is delivering, good results in terms of fibre deployment and in our view, in Europe, concerns are mostly on the demand side of the fibre market.

Among our key policy priority is copper switch-off, which would give a clear signal to the sector and investors, have positive impact on FTTH roll-out and adoption, and have advantages in terms of energy efficiency and operational costs. This is why the FTTH Council Europe launched the Copper Switch-Off Tracker.

Browse below our key objectives that in our view should be at the core of the current 2024-2029 EU legislative and regulatory cycle.

Our positions as FTTH Council Europe

Reducing uncertainty on the demand side

Clear policy objectives, such as progressive copper switch-off, encourage investment in fibre networks. Learn how these measures boost productivity and support the green transition.

Maintaining a Competitive Environment

Effective competition drives innovation and network expansion. Explore our strategies to promote fair market practices and prevent monopolistic behaviour in fibre network development.

Facilitating Fibre Network Deployment

A favourable regulatory environment is critical for fibre deployment. From reducing barriers to infrastructure sharing to implementing cost-reduction measures, Europe needs to further develop a fibre-friendly ecosystem.

Supporting the Green Transition

Transitioning to fibre networks offers significant energy savings and environmental benefits. We advocate for integrating fibre networks into the EU taxonomy to unlock green financing opportunities.

Ensuring Spectrum Availability for In-Home Connectivity

In-home Wi-Fi is the backbone of digital usage. Proper allocation of the 6GHz spectrum is vital to ensure faster and more reliable connectivity for European households and businesses.

Digital Networks Act

We welcome the Digital Networks Act’s focus on investment and competition, supporting regulatory stability through the SMP process. We support a balanced copper switch-off protecting consumers, tailored access remedies reflecting national realities, and constructive engagement to accelerate FTTH deployment and strengthen sustainable competition.

Cybersecurity Act

The FTTH Council Europe supports stronger security and resilience in Europe’s telecom network and services market, understands that the proposed Cybersecurity Act is part of the broader strategy aimed at guaranteeing Europe’s strategic autonomy and security, and is willing to cooperate with European Institutions to achieve this objective.

Copper Switch-Off Tracker

This new study, carried out by Cullen International and set to become a vital evidence base for policymakers, regulators, operators and investors, provides a comprehensive analysis of the progress toward deactivating legacy copper networks in the EU27 + UK area, including policy and market implications of transitioning to fibre.

Learn more

FTTH Policy & Regulations essentials

The deployment of FTTH networks is a complex and multifaceted endeavour, and the framework governing their rollout is of utmost importance: this guide has the aim of providing companies, policymakers, investors, and other stakeholders with the policy & regulations fundamentals for the deployment of FTTH networks in Europe.

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FTTH Adoption Drivers and Hurdles in Europe

By carrying out a thorough analysis of FTTH market data and doing a deep dive into 8 selected countries, the FTTH Council Europe, in collaboration with Plum Consulting, has developed a series of recommendations of measures that both policymakers and industry executives will find useful when considering how to increase the FTTH adoption.

Stefano Fogli

Jun 3, 2024

All applicants | Board of Directors applicants |

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Applying for a Board of Directors position

First and Last Name: Stefano Fogli

Company Name: Adtran

Current Position: Director Technology and Solutions

Company Type: Vendor/Reseller (Products)

Biography:

2006, Alcatel-Lucent EMEA, FTTx solution manager
2014, Huawei UK, E2E network consulting director
2015, Openreach UK, head of FTTx architecture
2019, Sky Italy, broadband marketing director
2022, Adtran EMEA, technology and solutions director

Position statement:

Your vote is extremely important. Our Council has one critical goal: to create value for its members and for the whole industry. Full fiber is now in the spotlight across Europe, as we have just reached an average coverage rate of 70%. But in less than 3 years we will reach 80%, and the building pace could slow down abruptly, while full fiber’s priority risks to be downgraded. We must act now. So how can the council create more value in this situation? This can be done in two ways: 1) Copper switch-off, to deliver deep profitability. The Council has done a great job putting the switch-off at the heart of the EU agenda, and now we must make it happen. We have to collect and share best practices and we have to identify and neutralize potential blocking factors, working at policy, market and engineering level. This is an activity that potentially will involve several committees. 2) “100%” fiber coverage, to deliver wide adoption. While we know that true 100% coverage is not reachable, our Council must maximize this number, pushing fiber to every relevant use case. If elected, I will actively drive and contribute to the points above. My somehow unique career path spanning many diverse companies of our industry (operators and vendors), and my technical and business background will help me in this. My employer, Adtran, has a long-term commitment to the Council and has always supported it, seeking to have a meaningful impact, and not just representation. Adtran is now happy to allow me to dedicate some of my time, and a lot of my energies, to the workings of the Board. I have the direct support at our most senior management levels to provide my time, energy and effort as needed to work for the Council Board of Directors. Thank you for your consideration.

Your past role(s) and activities in the FTTH Council Europe:

Since June 2022 I have been the Chair of the Market Intelligence Committee, arguably one of the toughest jobs around. As Chair of the Market Intelligence Committee, with the fantastic help of the Vice Chair and the other members, we have reached important goals:

We have improved the market data set. No complaints this year about “wrong” data, a first in the Council’s history!!!
We have published the Market Per-Country data, a new report which uses the full extent of the Council’s historical FTTH data
We have contributed to the selection of the provider of the copper switch-off tracker – a milestone for our future
Together with the Investor Committee, we have implemented the market sentiment survey
We have changed the way we work as a Committee, involving more members to verify the market data, and making it easier to get things done

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