DT and Orange Call for EU Sovereignty Push

Deutsche Telekom and Orange pressed EU policymakers to reform the European digital framework. Bosses of two large operators have mapped out key areas to strengthen the continent’s technology sovereignty.

In a joint statement, DT CEO Timotheus Hoettges and Orange chief Christel Heydemann said digital sovereignty has become a top EU strategic priority. They claim it must be built on four principles: control over secure digital infrastructure, greater choice through interoperable European alternatives and technology ecosystems, competency via stronger digital skills, and achieving scale to fuel innovation and competitiveness.

The pair stressed these ambitions will require massive investments, bold political decisions, and active engagement of all stakeholders. To achieve these goals, they called for a more investment-friendly regulatory environment and urged the EU to adopt a bold Digital Networks Act, a proposed reform designed to modernise the region’s telecom rules and create a more integrated single market.

On AI, Hoettges and Heydemann said the EU must become a true AI continent and not a mere consumer. While telcos already use AI to create more efficient, smart, and agile networks, they stressed that operators also have a duty to enable access to AI tools and computing resources for industry, academia, and the public sector. Additionally, the companies pushed for common EU sovereignty rules in cloud services, alongside a stronger commitment to favour European providers in public procurement.

“This will enable the necessary scale for a more competitive and resilient European cloud ecosystem. As leading European telecom operators, we are committed to strengthening Europe’s digital sovereignty and enhancing its global competitiveness,” the pair concluded, calling for ambitious and effective reforms.