In December 2019, the European Commission presented the European Green Deal with the ambition of making Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, boosting the economy, improving people's health and quality of life, caring for nature, and leaving no one behind.

Digitalisation will be at the core of this ambitious program and fibre is key to align the digital and sustainability agendas. As the most sustainable telecommunication infrastructure technology, full-fibre is a prerequisite to achieving the European Green Deal and making the European Union’s economy more sustainable.

The need to work collectively towards a more sustainable society has become a strategic objective of policy makers and the vast majority of private organisations alike. With this context in mind, the sustainability Working Group of the FTTH Council Europe has been created with two key objectives:

  • Promote full fibre as the most sustainable access network technology and enabler of multiple applications which can contribute to reducing the carbon footprint of our activities. Remote working and learning being the most obvious examples.
  • Support all stakeholders of the Fibre to the Home value chain in their efforts to make their respective activities more carbon neutral.

Insights from the Committee

 

 

FTTH Policy Dialogue - Paving the Way for a Sustainable and Future-Proof Connectivity in Europe

As European institutions shape their policy agenda for the 2024-2029 cycle, the FTTH Council Europe brought together decision-makers from the European Commission, European Parliament, regulatory bodies, and stakeholders to discuss the policy and regulatory changes that will shape the future deployment and adoption of FTTH networks across the EU.

During the event we presented our policy priorities for the current legislative term and launched the highly anticipated Copper Switch-Off Tracker. This new study, carried out by Cullen International, provides a comprehensive analysis of the progress toward deactivating legacy copper networks. As one of the cornerstone of our policy priorities, we consider the Copper Switch-Off as a key driver for the expansion of FTTH networks, incentivising the adoption of full-fibre broadband infrastructure. This transition is critical to supporting Europe’s digital transformation and achieving a sustainable, high-performance connectivity ecosystem.

The event also featured a presentation of the Copper Switch-Off Tracker findings, followed by a panel discussion with representatives from the European Commission, the European Parliament, National Regulatory Authorities, and operators. This discussion delved into the policy and market implications of transitioning from copper to fibre networks and highlight its role in shaping Europe’s connectivity future.

Thanks for joining us! Now we head straight to the FTTH Conference 2025, in Amsterdam!

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