Vodafone Romania called for government investment in the telecoms sector which the operator claimed is at a crossroads in the eastern European country.
Murielle Lorilloux, Vodafone Romania CEO called for support from authorities in a video conference at ZF Digital Zummit, stating authorities must support operators to consolidate the advantage of local infrastructure and maintain it for years to come, Ziarul Financiar reported.
The chief executive noted “telecommunications infrastructure will be critical in the coming years”, Romania has good telecoms assets but “in 2021 we are at a crossroads”.
“It is very important to ask ourselves how to strengthen the industry because it will be one of the most important factors in terms of digitalization and modernization of Romania and we will continue to make investments to strengthen the quality of connectivity in Romania ", said Lorilloux.
She added waiting for private investment is no longer sustainable, and further support is needed to boost coverage, services and an eventual launch of 5G.
"We have to rely on the support of the authorities because I don't think we will be able to do it only with the funds of the private industry. We have done this so far, but I think we have so many areas to invest in and so many challenges that we need the support of the authorities to have the right strategy for the legislative framework.
“We hope to be able to rely on EU reconstruction funds. Those funds cannot forget the telecom sector and must support us to improve network coverage, improve coverage in rural areas or accelerate the launch of 5G,” she added.
