We have reached a point where Europe is waking up technologically. A healthy development, not only for Europeans, but for the world we help shape in the process.
The forgotten linchpin: smartphones
One of the most underestimated topics is the mobile phone. We all have one. It sits in your pocket every day, wherever you go. You use it constantly: calling, texting, chatting, emailing, looking up translations, navigating. And so on. Convenient? Absolutely.
But it’s not just convenient for you. From a marketing perspective, it’s a goldmine for directly involved parties. In addition, services and institutions increasingly benefit from this constant presence through legislation.
The closed ecosystem
Consider, for example, the forced loyalty within app stores such as the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. These closed ecosystems ensure that you are almost required to stay within their markets. Installing third-party apps is only possible to a limited extent, and never with the same capabilities. Progressive Web Apps (PWAs), for instance, still lack full access to notifications and system features.
Even if we set aside all distrust, the problem remains: two American software giants dominate the global smartphone market. That is simply not healthy.
Two systems, one problem
There are indeed more phone brands. But when you look at operating systems, in practice only two dominant players remain: iOS and Android. That is, at the very least, remarkable.
Now that we are being forced to reshape the world, it may be wise for Europe to examine this issue as well. And no, I’m not talking about a European operating system. We have already seen that before, with systems like Symbian from Nokia. I’m talking about something more fundamental.
The key: the modem
What if a European manufacturer developed a mobile modem chipset that is freely usable? Not bound to licenses from parties with deep pockets and political connections. That may sound abstract, but the core idea is surprisingly concrete. The chip does not have to be free, of course, but its usage should come with far fewer restrictions.
The world is locked into the smartphone market because of one crucial component: the modem chip. This is the part that enables your phone to connect to mobile networks such as 4G and 5G.
As long as this technology remains in the hands of a small number of closed suppliers, the market effectively stays locked. And up until now, that has remained the case for reasons that no longer matter.
An open alternative
Imagine if this modem technology became freely available, through open source drivers or a supplier offering it openly under reasonable terms. The current grip on the market would almost immediately disappear.
This is not about money. This is about control.
If a European company, with or without government support, introduces an open modem standard, it would completely change the playing field. It would open the door to new players. To innovation. To alternative operating systems. To real competition. But above all, to privacy and security.
Why this must happen now
This is not a futuristic idea. Technically, it could have been done yesterday. But now is the time to actually do it. For geopolitical reasons.
A mobile phone has become too personal and too essential to remain dependent on closed ecosystems and geopolitical interests. What once made sense, from a commercial or security standpoint, no longer does.
On the contrary: opening up this market is now in our own interest. For our digital autonomy. For our privacy. For our security.
We do not need external superpowers to communicate. It is time for this market to break free from its current grip, and for Europe to take a leading role in doing so would be the logical step.