MEP Marlene Mizzi hosted an S&D hearing in the European Parliament on digital opportunities and challenges faced by European citizens and consumers in the new framework for a revision of the European Electronic Communication Code.
As the S&D spokesperson responsible for the telecom sector in two separate committees, Internal Market and Consumer Protection and Culture and Education, Marlene Mizzi said: “Telecom sector is important to all European citizens. We have the opportunity to make a real change and progress in the sector, to facilitate digital lives, foster innovation, competitiveness and growth. We need to improve the existing rules and bring real benefits to consumers and citizens, such as providing basic and affordable internet as a universal right to all.”
At the hearing, stakeholders, MEPs and the European Commission sparked an interesting discussion on the issues surrounding the digitalisation of the telecom sector and the existing digital divide in our society,that increases the gap between people, households, businesses and geographic areas and affects both opportunities and access to information and communication technologies.
“Internet plays an important role in the everyday life of all Europeans allowing them to transform the ways they communicate and engage with each other. Despite its importance, I was perplexed to realise that that about 58 million EU citizens (aged 16-74 years old) have never used internet and about half of the less-educated and the elderly in the population do not use it regularly. Digital divide is real and it is excluding a big part of our society,’’ said MEP Mizzi.
At the hearing Mizzi supported the Commission proposal to include for the first time in a European legislation an obligation to provide affordable and accessible internet as a universal right to all citizens. “Universal service is the principle that everyone should be provided with a basic but good quality services at affordable prices and once we finalise this legislation in the European Parliament, basic broadband access will be a universal service obligation,” said Marlene Mizzi.
AS a S&D shadow rapporteur for two separate committees, I will ensure that citizens have a right to an affordable broadband connectivity, which is key to provide for social inclusion of those who, because of limited financial resources or geographic location, would otherwise not be able to access and use basic services available to the great majority of citizens,” MEP Mizzi said.