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

 

 

Panel 13 - Copper Switch Off & FTTH adoption

Across Europe, the transition from legacy copper networks to full fibre is entering a decisive phase. As operators accelerate copper switch-off plans, the focus is shifting to how regulation, market dynamics, and consumer adoption can enable a smooth and effective migration to FTTH.

This panel brings together experts from Cullen International, AGCOM, Telefónica, Openreach, and Deutsche Glasfaser to discuss the regulatory frameworks, operational strategies, and policy tools required to successfully retire copper infrastructure.

Panellists will explore how coordinated switch-off timelines, consumer migration strategies, and supportive regulation can accelerate FTTH adoption while maintaining service continuity. The discussion will also examine lessons from early switch-off initiatives and the role of industry collaboration in ensuring that the transition to fibre delivers long-term benefits for both operators and users.

A strategic conversation on turning copper switch-off into a catalyst for widespread FTTH adoption across Europe.


Speakers:

  • Christof Sommerberg - SVP Public Affairs |atDeutsche Glasfaser Holding GmbH
  • James Lilley - Director, All IP at Openreach
  • Juan Manuel Caro Bernat - Director JVs & Fibre Center of Excellence at Telefonica
  • Marco Benacchio - Head of the office Regulation of markets and networks at AGCOM
  • Moderated by Alessandro Mauro, Senior Analyst at Cullen International

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