Less than two decades ago, the idea of mobile communication was a novelty and the possibility of mobile data was not much more than a dream. But within the past three or four years that dream has really become a reality, and checking email or Facebook, sending photos, and watching YouTube clips on smartphones are now normal parts of everyday life.

In April, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is expected to approve a new standard, called G.fast, that should make it possible to bring ‘fibre to the distribution point’ (FTTdp) – closer to the customer than any previous technology, albeit not quite through the front door as in full fibre to the home.

It’s no secret that, compared to the rest of the developed world, the European telecoms sector is in bad shape. A decade ago, the continent’s thriving communications market was the envy of Asia and North America, with its nations pioneering the technologies that formed the backbone of the digital economy. But 2014 is a very different story.

Networking has become an inhibitor in the data centre. Whereas server and storage technologies have progressed steadily in the last decade, networking has remained largely the same. But the growing discrepancy has told, putting networking under the spotlight and triggering an industry response.

In 1964 Renato De-Massari and Hans Reichle developed what was, at the time, a revolutionary telephone outlet. Little did they know, but this development laid the cornerstone for Reichle and De-Massari (R&M), which these days employs 750 people in more than 30 countries. The company’s stated goal remains largely the same five decades later: to offer customers top-quality solutions for excellent communication networks.

There was a distinct air of positivity surrounding the FTTH conference this year, held at the Stockholmsmassan, Sweden from 18 to 20 February. The exhibition featured an array of industry-leading companies showcasing new technologies and products spread across a busy exhibition hall. Across from the exhibition hall was the main conference room, which hosted a number of speeches from industry experts across 13 sessions over two days.