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“The EU must stand on its own feet, even when it comes to digital services and technologies. In this area, the dependence on the US in the current geopolitical context is unacceptable,” states Andrew van der Haar. “When it comes to backbone capacity and transatlantic connections, there are indeed risks. Many submarine cables have been laid in recent years by American tech giants, who thus control essential infrastructure. We must at least be able to offer alternatives to that. Currently, there are not enough, and there is also insufficient planning for it.”
In a European perspective, the Netherlands remains a leader in fiber optic technology, but the continent still has a lot of work to do. “This European perspective is becoming increasingly important,” emphasizes Van der Haar. “We must make ourselves resilient against threats that were almost unimaginable a few years ago. This also means that our networks must be ‘secured’ throughout the entire chain: from manufacturing to installation, from management to ownership.”
The changing geopolitical relations make strategic autonomy more urgent than ever. The rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape has made digital and technological dependencies very risky. The fiber optic sector must therefore also take up the challenge of digital sovereignty, according to the Fiber Carrier Association.
Read the full report here (English and Dutch version) : https://fibercarriers.nl/nieuws/8e-editie-glasvezel-in-stad-en-land/