<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dear Colleagues, <b id="docs-internal-guid-2aeb1d1e-7fff-5059-fa76-be35f9b47120" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Last week, the European Commission published a White Paper on “How to master Europe’s digital infrastructure needs?”: <a href="https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/white-paper-how-master-europes-digital-infrastructure-needs" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/white-paper-how-master-europes-digital-infrastructure-needs</a><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A public consultation is open and running until 30 June 2024: <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/14168-How-to-master-Europes-digital-infrastructure-needs?_en" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(17, 85, 204); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/14168-How-to-master-Europes-digital-infrastructure-needs?_en</a><b style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The White Paper highlights some challenges and opportunities for the rollout of future connectivity networks and presents possible scenarios. Main takeaways and key objectives the European Commission is pushing forward through this initiative include:<ul style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li dir="ltr" aria-level="1" style="list-style-type: disc; font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Making the telecom sector more attractive for investors and address “investments needs” for the deployment of future networks;</li><li dir="ltr" aria-level="1" style="list-style-type: disc; font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Improving harmonisation of spectrum authorisation procedures and reduce administrative burdens across EU member states; </li><li dir="ltr" aria-level="1" style="list-style-type: disc; font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Suggesting a revision of the European Electronic Communications Code (EESC) while seeking ways to reduce market fragmentation; </li><li dir="ltr" aria-level="1" style="list-style-type: disc; font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Enhancing the resilience and security of telecom networks in Europe, notably through a “de-risking approach” to subsea cables.</li></ul><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In addition, the Commission plans to release a recommendation regarding subsea cables soon. These initiatives set the scene for conversations on the future of telecom networks in the context of upcoming EU elections and will influence the agenda-setting process for the next mandate.<b style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">All the best<span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Romain_____ <div> Romain Bosc Sr. Public Policy & Governance Officer RIPE NCC E: rbosc@ripe.net T: +32 498 59 41 68 </div> </body></html>