The EU is redoubling efforts to bolster the integrity of Europe’s communications infrastructure amid worrying signs that the continent’s connectivity is under siege by foreign powers.
Brussels intends to place renewed emphasis on ensuring trusted and secure suppliers for telecom networks, communications satellites and vessels used to repair underwater cables, according to the Polish Council Presidency’s latest draft conclusions concerning the EU’s “reliable and resilient connectivity” push, seen by Euractiv (dated 4 April).
The revised conclusions signal the growing concern in both Brussels and member states over the degree to which the EU’s communications backbone is vulnerable to foreign interference. A combination of the recent Huawei lobbying scandal, a suspicious rash of severed undersea cables in the Baltic, and Elon Musk’s wavering over whether to provide satellite internet access to Ukraine, have convinced even sceptics of the urgency for swift action.
Most of the changes between the latest draft and the previous one appear to be a direct response to these developments.
Regarding network security, the draft included a line “stressing” the importance of the adoption of a new instrument to phase out high-risk vendors all telecommunications networks and information systems. Euractiv understands that this includes not only mobile infrastructure (the 5G toolbox), but fixed infrastructure as well (dubbed the ICT toolbox) and information systems for suppliers of equipment for car manufacturers.
It is unclear, however, whether all EU members will embrace the Polish initiative, as the implementation of the voluntary 5G toolbox, which has existed for five years, has been lagging behind, mainly to the high cost.
On satellites, EU countries are trying to maintain their capabilities as much as they can. At the moment, that’s difficult. Whereas Musk’s Starlink put 7,000 satellites into orbit for its broadband service, Europe’s Eutelsat has fewer than 700.
Yet the number of the satellites isn’t the only factor in ensuring reliable service and the technology is evolving quickly. The latest draft includes a line that future EU requirements for satellite constellations “should be based” on the Commission’s advisory body made of national representatives: the Radio Spectrum Policy Group (RSPG). The RSPG is currently working on an opinion concerning the EU’s policy approach to direct-to-device technology. This innovation should allow satellites to connect to end user devices directly, instead of via a network of land-based terminals as is currently the case.
On subsea cables, the Poles included two new mentions of “cable vessels” which have the capacity to repair telecommunications cables. The concern is that contracting such work to outside operators could lead to manipulation by foreign actors.
The Council document stops short of endorsing the Commission’s recent suggestion to create an “EU Cable Vessels Reserve”, which could several hundred million euros. Instead, the draft suggests improving and leveraging existing “cable vessels’ capacities.”
The Polish presidency aims to adopt the conclusions during the upcoming Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Ministry Council planned for 6 June in Luxembourg.
(mk)