During the opening session of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025 in Barcelona, Spain, Marc Murtra, Chairman and CEO of Telefónica, advocated for consolidation in the European telecommunications sector to help operators grow and strengthen their technological capacity.
Murtra highlighted that the consolidation will be critical for Europe’s future, stating, “This can strengthen European strategic autonomy, unlock productivity, and improve ordinary people’s lives.”
Acknowledging that this shift would require telecom operators to adapt, Murtra emphasized, “The European Commission, European member states, regulators, and others must adapt their regulation and objectives to allow technological and telecom consolidation. If this does not happen, we think Europe’s position in the world will continue to dwindle and will not have the capacity to decide our future autonomously.”
The Telefónica CEO stressed the telecom sector’s role in driving Europe’s technological progress and underlined the power and potential of new ultra-broadband networks and cloud-based architectures. However, he noted that achieving dramatic improvements in Europe requires scale and capacity. Murtra added, “We must be aware that excessive European TMT fragmentation, over-regulation, and insufficient industry returns have weighed Europe down into falling behind technologically.”
Furthermore, Murtra highlighted the significance of favorable environments, including the United States, the Middle East, and Asia, in accelerating the growth and development of new technologies. Reinforcing the need for Europe to advance in these areas, he stated, “We are now in a new era where titanic technological companies are, again, sharply driving change. These giants work as dominant players in near-monopoly markets, have deep knowledge, and are more capable than they were 20 years ago.”
More from Telefónica:
du and Telefónica Partner to Boost Innovation and Growth
stc Group Gains Approval to Increase Stake in Telefónica
stc Group Acquires Sizable Stake in Telefónica
