CLOUD COMPUTING AND THE CONNECTIVITY ECOSYSTEM
Roundtable on competition in the provision of cloud computing services
19 June 2025, Competition Committee
Alexia González Fanfalone
Head
of
the Connectivity Services and Infrastructures Unit, STI
Introduction
Technology, services, infrastructure
What is cloud computing?
Flexibility and scalability
Digital transformation pillar
“A service model for computing services based on a set of computing resources that can be accessed in a flexible, elastic, on-demand way with low management effort” (OECD, 2014)
Why does it matter?
A growing and strategic industry
Cloud computing touches nearly every aspect of digital transformation.
Reshaping markets and industries
Supporting digital technologies
Fostering the evolution of the
connectivity ecosystem
How prepared are policymakers and regulators to understand, monitor, and shape the role of cloud computing in markets that are increasingly dependent on it?
Cloud computing in the connectivity sector – 4
trends
Network “cloudification”
• Key network functions of broadband networks are increasingly handled in the cloud
• Cloud services at the edge of communication networks – Multi-access edge computing
Partnerships
Infrastructure investment
• Dedicated cloud services offered to the communication industry
• A growing number of partnerships between cloud providers and telcos
Security and resilience
• Significant investment from hyperscalers in subsea cables
• Telcos deploying their own cloud infrastructure
• An increased size and complexity of the attack surface
• Increased interdependence between communication networks and cloud providers
Are communication regulators looking at the cloud computing sector?
30% of OECD communication regulators declared having a mandate and/or partial responsibilities on policy issues related to cloud computing (2023)
OECD (2024), Financing broadband networks of the future (2024)
A key (unanswered) question for regulators: At what point does a cloud provider become a communication infrastructure operator? And what does that mean for access regulation, interconnection, and resilience oversight?
