Cellnex Telecom argues that independent infrastructure operators should speed up the roll-out of digital services

• Cellnex emphasises the role of independent operators in streamlining and simplifying telecommunications networks and infrastructures in the context of sector consolidation in Europe.
• Sharing infrastructures between operators helps increase their efficiency and speeds up the time to market of new services associated to mobile broadband and public access to these.
• An independent telecommunications infrastructures operator is an enabler for rolling out new technologies and services that require connectivity for mobile broadband, broadcasting and Smart networks services (IoT).

Cellnex Telecom, Europe’s main independent telecommunications infrastructures operator, took part in the 29th Meeting of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, held recently in Santander, Spain. The purpose of this event is to highlight the role of ICTs as a driver of the digital transformation required by Europe, its society and its businesses that are currently immersed in a digital revolution.

Cellnex Telecom’s CEO Tobías Martínez Gimeno spoke at the meeting and highlighted the role of telecommunications infrastructure operators within the Digital Single Market (DSM). For Mr Martínez, this scenario opens a unique window of opportunity for Europe and its digital leadership in three key areas: rolling out mobile broadband, defining an audiovisual strategy for Europe in the medium and long term, and developing what are known as “smart solutions” based on the connectivity of objects (IoT) and people.

Mr Martínez said that when we speak of Europe we must remember that we do not yet enjoy a single and harmonised market. The EU has 28 different sets of rules, not to mention all those at the sub-State level. Various different networks, services, technologies, etc. exist side by side within this complex panorama.

An infrastructures operator can perform various roles in a scenario to facilitate the emergence of a digital single market: most noteworthy is its ability to offer solutions designed to streamline and simplify the telecommunications infrastructure map thanks to its independence and neutrality with respect to operators offering services to end customers. This can help to increase the efficiency of these operators, make better use of the networks and speed up time to market in rolling out new-generation infrastructures and networks that facilitate public access to new services and solutions worthy of an advanced digital society and economy.

Three main fronts
An independent operator should act as a facilitator within the DSM to simplify the efficiency of three main fronts – mobile broadband infrastructures, broadcasting, and Smart networks services (IoT). To achieve the first of these requires rolling out a wide network in the near future based on the combination of various technologies to ensure sufficient density of future broadcast systems (towers, small cells, wi-fi, etc.) that are complementary and ensure genuine mobile broadband, providing ample growth for the European telecommunications infrastructures market.

Here, Mr Martínez stressed the wide margin for growth in the Towering market in Europe, as suggested by outsourcing figures, which are currently 10.6% compared to 30.2% in the US.

The audiovisual strategy is another front to foster in order to maintain a competitive audiovisual sector in Europe that can preserve the continent’s cultural and creative wealth, removing uncertainties about access to DTT and radio spectrum so that the players concerned can continue investing and innovating. In this connection, a medium and long-term roadmap is required to defend the European audiovisual model, while also ensuring the coordination of frequencies and spectrum among the various EU Member States.

Another key pillar of DSM concerns maximising the growth of the digital economy, understood as Smart solutions and infrastructures. This imminent future involves rolling out smart infrastructures: SmallCells, WiFi hotspots, security and emergency services and infrastructures for connected cars. Within that environment, an infrastructure operator can facilitate, streamline and accelerate roll-out by efficiently connecting objects and people.

Cellnex Telecom
Cellnex Telecom is Europe’s leading independent operator of wireless telecommunications and broadcasting infrastructures.
It offers sites to rent for telecommunications operators and provides the most advanced audiovisual services to national, regional and local broadcasters.
Over the past four years, Cellnex Telecom has made a firm commitment to developing a network of over 15,000 sites and has enjoyed strong growth in the mobile phone towers area through agreements with operators like Telefónica and Yoigo in Spain, the purchase of the Italian company TowerCo in 2014, and the recent acquisition of 7,400 towers in Italy following the agreement with WIND to gain control of Galata.
It also develops solutions in the “smart city” projects field and has rolled out a smart communications network making it possible to connect objects and develop a strong ecosystem for the Internet of Things (IoT) in Spain.
Cellnex Telecom also plays a key role in deploying radio networks for security and emergency forces.