Dario Talmesio - Research Director
Telecom CEOs plead with governments to ease the regulatory burden every year: one year it might be about consolidation, another year about the cost of mobile spectrum or mobile coverage obligation—then there is taxation or net neutrality. Whatever the year's flavor, something is certain: we can rest assured that some of the discourse will be devoted to criticism, general moaning, or explicit requests to governments.
MWC 2022 will not be an exception, but it will be different in many ways. For example, telecom operators are keener than ever to befriend policymakers who, in turn, are more determined than ever to take back control of the technology agenda. Telecom operators will be courting governments for many reasons.
Firstly, telecom operators are interested in governments' largesse, such as the US-approved $1.2tn infrastructure plan or the EU's €750bn Recovery Fund. But telecom operators are also keen to maintain regulators’ focus on Big Tech and away from telco.
Source: Omdia, Digital Technology Platform Regulation Tracker – 2H21
Policymakers' attention is almost entirely directed toward Big Tech, and public scrutiny is increasing. From the US to China, Europe, and India, policymakers are keen to regain their sovereignty over data, digital society, and the digital economy.
This has big implications for the telco sector: some have already played out, such as the ban on Chinese vendors and the subsequent government-backed boost of open RAN, but more will happen as government sovereignty comes with elements of protectionism and isolation.
Some big questions will be asked at MWC 2022. What is the future of 5G, especially in the context of network slicing and private/hybrid networks in a polarized east-west technology world? How will the standardization bodies manage to avoid bifurcation or polarization of future standards, especially regarding the upcoming 6G standard?
How will AI regulation be harmonized across the globe and which countries will influence the regulatory process? Answers to these questions will not be provided during a single event, but one thing is sure: governments will put their mark over virtually every aspect of technology research and adoption.
Casting its tech-policy influence across the globe, the EU is de facto a global policymaker of the internet: in privacy, personal data, anti-trust, and many more areas, the EU will continue to influence the shape of technology markets. A framework for AI strategy is one of the EU's new frontiers, impacting who the technology is used in telecoms and beyond.
It's an important year of preparation ahead of the World RadioConference2023 (WRC23). Preparatory studies are underway, and these will be critical for the definition of, among other things, 6G. Expect to entertain more 6G discussions and start formulating a clearer view of how 6G will be defined, ahead of standardization.
The US government and FCC are to be followed for many reasons—their stance on net neutrality or regulation of Big Tech, for instance. But 2022 will be an important year to implement the national infrastructure bill, with $65bn of government money being the foundation of a reinvigorated internet-access infrastructure. At MWC, we look forward to understanding which technology options will benefit from the investments.
You can meet with Omdia's expert team at the following events:
Telco AI World Summit (April 26–28, Berlin)
Big 5G Summit (May 24–26, Austin, TX)
Future Vision Executive Summit (December 7–8, Bruges)
