Following the launch of a similar centre in Paris, France, earlier this month, Orange is now celebrating the launch of its second European ODC, this time in the Belgian capital, Brussels. The operator calls the ODC a “complete ecosystem for acquiring digital skills testing and fine-tuning actual projects”, with the centre positioned directly in the centre of the city, in the BeCentral hub within Brussels Central Station. The ODC comprises numerous elements, the including a Digital Academy and a digital production workshop known as the Solidarity Fab Lab. At the Digital Academy, participants will receive training in various digital training programmes…

Following the launch of a similar centre in Paris, France, earlier this month, Orange is now celebrating the launch of its second European ODC, this time in the Belgian capital, Brussels.

The operator calls the ODC a “complete ecosystem for acquiring digital skills testing and fine-tuning actual projects”, with the centre positioned directly in the centre of the city, in the BeCentral hub within Brussels Central Station.

The ODC comprises numerous elements, the including a Digital Academy and a digital production workshop known as the Solidarity Fab Lab.

At the Digital Academy, participants will receive training in various digital training programmes, including Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, CyberSecurity and even 5G network applications. It will also host public training sessions on more basic topics, such as how to use the internet for administration tasks, with a major focus on ‘training the trainer’ giving people the skills to help support family members.

The Solidarity FabLab, meanwhile, was described by a spokesperson as ‘putting the physical into the digital learning of the ODC’, allowing participants to receive training and the use of a 3D printer, a laser cutting machine, a digital embroidering machine, and IoT electronics.

The project will also have close ties with other Orange programmes, like Orange Fab, the Group’s start-up accelerator, and Orange Ventures, its investment arm, which may invest in successful start-ups coming out of the Digital Academy. Around 600 people are expected to receive training in the Brussel’s ODC this year.

The creation of the centre is part funded by the Belgian government, which has committed €2 billion, with Orange committing €1 million.

According to Deputy Prime Minister, Petra De Sutter, who was present at the launch, as many as four in ten Belgian’s are at risk of digital exclusion.

The launch comes as part of Orange’s broader Engage 2025 plan, which aims to extend digital inclusion and training programmes to 34.5 million people throughout Europe by 2025. The company also aims to train a further 4.5 million people in more advanced digital skills, such as coding and the use of AI.

This plan also includes the launch of ODCs in each of Orange’s European markets by 2023, with these plans initially being impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

“Covid was both an acceleration and a slowing down,” explained Jégo-Laveissière. “It’s accelerated our capabilities to create new content, especially for e-learning, but it slowed us down because nobody was able to able to meet with partners or even physically open a new location.”

According to Jégo-Laveissière, Orange will open ODCs in Poland, Spain, and Luxembourg by the end of the year, followed by Romania, Moldova and Slovakia in 2023. Discussions are ongoing with various governments and local authorities regarding joint funding and collaboration, though Orange admits that it may have to go it alone in some markets.

“We need to be ready with an ecosystem – if we create these things together, it’s much more powerful,” said Jégo-Laveissière. “We are working closely with the authorities, whether they are local or global, but in some countries we are doing it on our own.”

The opening of this centre cannot come soon enough. According to the Belgian government, up to 40% of Belgian society is at risk of digital exclusion in the years to come, much of which comes from a lack of education and engagement with the requisite skills and technologies. While just 7% of Belgians have no access to the internet at all, 17% of those with access only do so in a limited way and cannot perform basic tasks online.

“Digital literacy is more than crucial today and it determines how much you have access to digital services. In this way, digital skills are a ticket to fully participating in society,” explained Belgian Deputy Prime Minister, Petra de Sutter. “Up to 40% of the population is at risk of digital exclusions, even when considering access to the internet and smartphones.”

Particularly following the rapid digitalisation of services following the pandemic, the digital divide remains a major challenge worldwide, disproportionately affecting a wide array of very different demographics, from children to the elderly to those with less education. As a result, attempts to combat digital exclusion need to be similarly varied, and that seems to be what Orange is attempting here, creating a one-stop-shop for the local society’s digital needs, from the basics to digital start-up incubation.

RELATED CONTENT:
Could a four-day week work for the telecom sector?
The Institute of Telecoms Professionals (ITP) appoints Charlotte Goodwill as CEO to drive the UK’s digital talent pipeline

Keep up with the latest from Total Telecom – follow us on LinkedIn

A new subsea link between Greece and Egypt is on the card after Telecom Egypt signed Heads of Agreement with a subsidiary of the Independent Power Transmission Operator (IPTO) of Greece, Grid Telecom. The link will actually be an extension of a subsea cable system…

A new subsea link between Greece and Egypt is on the card after Telecom Egypt signed Heads of Agreement with a subsidiary of the Independent Power Transmission Operator (IPTO) of Greece, Grid Telecom.

The link will actually be an extension of a subsea cable system, which is currently being laid across the Mediterranean Sea and will provide a new reliable telecommunications corridor interconnecting Africa, Asia and Europe – addressing increasing traffic demand between the three. The link will provide the shortest route across the Mediterranean basin to the Balkans as well as improving connectivity to the likes of Genoa and Marseilles.

The Managing Director and CEO of Telecom Egypt, Adel Hamed, commented:
“With the increasing demand for connectivity regionally and around the globe, Telecom Egypt is working on improving and extending its international network and continuously investing in new cables. Our collaboration with Grid Telecom will increase our network’s resiliency and reach.”

The Chairman and CEO of IPTO, Manos Manousakis, stated:
« The Southeast Mediterranean incubates major synergies that will contribute to the wider region’s emergence as a significant hub for both data and energy. In this context, with the fact that Egypt is a key hub location for all subsea cables from East to West, we are very pleased that the cooperation between IPTO’s subsidiary Grid Telecom and Telecom Egypt, will bring a new international route that will enhance the strategic role of Crete island as a neutral open-access node on the intersection of three continents. »

Google and Vodafone Spain recently faced a EUR14 million fine by the country’s data protection authority, with reports revealing that the total number of fines for GDPR enforcement now totals EUR1.6 billion. Four years after the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into effect in the EU, the threat of fines for businesses continues to grow as a host of new regulations and enforcements are set to come into effect this year, including the Data Governance Act and ePrivacy Regulation…

Google and Vodafone Spain recently faced a EUR14 million fine by the country’s data protection authority, with reports revealing that the total number of fines for GDPR enforcement now totals EUR1.6 billion.

Four years after the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into effect in the EU, the threat of fines for businesses continues to grow as a host of new regulations and enforcements are set to come into effect this year, including the Data Governance Act and ePrivacy Regulation.

Dufrain, the data consultancy, today urges telcos businesses to do more to ensure they have proper data governance processes in place to protect both themselves and their customers from data breaches. As such, it outlines the steps telcos can take to manage their data effectively and mitigate risk.

Sorting out unstructured data
Unstructured data, that is data held by an organisation that cannot be used or detected by technology, presents a serious compliance risk for telcos, which are typically exposed to huge amounts of personal customer information. Common examples of unstructured data include emails, PDFs or documents saved via Microsoft Teams, but data left in this way can mean businesses breach data protection laws and face the threat of potentially crippling fines.
Bespoke technological solutions can be implemented to bring unstructured data under control in the same way as structured data, making it easier to manage and mitigate risks before they arise.

Prepare properly for mergers and acquisitions
Deal value for M&A in the telecommunications sector rose by 48% in 2021 with ‘scale deals’ – when companies merge to increase market share – making up the bulk of activity.
To reap the full benefits of M&A activity and scale up, the data of the two companies must be combined. However, this migration is often slow and inefficient as businesses have to merge masses of data from many disparate systems. Technical solutions that are designed to speed up and simplify the data migration process can be extremely cost effective and allow businesses to properly integrate data from an acquired or merged business into their reporting. Ensuring that businesses have oversight of all data guarantees it is stored properly, while also driving better informed business decisions and profitability.

Implementing a strong data governance strategy
By developing an overarching data governance strategy, businesses improve the quality of data to drive effective decision making for the future while also ensuring that all information is stored safely to eliminate the threat of fines for non-compliance. Data consolidated in one central, organised system means that insights from all areas of the businesses can be drawn upon to inform decisions that enable growth and better meet customer needs.

Gerry Goodwin, Sales Director at Dufrain, said:
“The fine imposed on Google and Vodafone shows that, four years on from the implementation of GDPR, the regulators are as stringent as ever in its enforcement. Focusing on implementing a data strategy that encompasses all aspects of data usage, ownership and management is vital for avoiding potentially crippling fines, especially as the world becomes increasingly digital. In the first instance, that means knowing where all their data is and how its stored and used, both to mitigate data breaches as much as possible, but also to ensure that they can make the most of the data in a compliant way to develop the business and drive growth.”