SEO be damned, as ETNO rebrands to Connect Europe

For more than three decades, the group has been lobbying on behalf of telcos as the European Telecommunications Network Operators' Association – to give it its full name. Henceforth though, it will be known as Connect Europe.

Not to be confused with Connect Europe, an event hosted last year for the automotive trade and repair ecosystem.

Also, be sure not to conflate Connect Europe and Connect Europe. The former is ETNO's new name, the latter is a summit organised by E2open, which specialises in supply chain software.

Don't get it mixed up with Cvent Connect Europe either – that's a conference aimed at people who want to know about the latest production tech for hospitality and events.

Connect Europe also has nothing to do with the Connecting Europe Facility, which is the EU's funding programme for trans-European transport, energy and comms networks. Neither does Connect Europe have any association with the EU's Connecting Europe Days, a four-day expo organised to promote the aforementioned funding scheme.

A simple search query turns up a sufficiently long list of riffs on 'connect' and 'Europe' that it would be impractical to list them all here. Do the same with 'ETNO', and the results are wall-to-wall ETNO.

The telecoms industry has no shortage of abbreviations, acronyms, and initialisms, but there is a reason they are so popular. They are easy to find. They stand out. They are not generic.

Not that Connect Europe should attempt to shorten its new name to CE. Searching for CE returns a list of resources about obtaining CE certification so that a product can be sold in the EU.

Connect Europe (the telecoms one) says its new name "reflects the fast and dynamic developments in telecom innovation and across connectivity markets, as well as growth in membership."

It notes that in February, it welcomed cable conglomerate Liberty Global and French cloud computing provider OVHcloud as new members.

There is also an impending change of leadership. Lise Fuhr is stepping down after nine years as director general. Her deputy, Alessandro Gropelli, has been proposed as her replacement – it will be put to a vote in November.

Connect Europe also says its members don't just provide high-quality fixed and mobile connectivity. They also deliver an array of advanced services, including IT, AI and cybersecurity, as well as entertainment and content.

"Today marks a historic moment for the European connectivity sector. Our focus is on creating more innovation, investment and competitiveness for European citizens. We are not only changing our brand, but also our role and vision for the future," said Connect Europe chairman Steven Tas. "Building on our 32 years history, we are preparing the Association to work with the new European political leadership and build a long-term partnership for the coming decades."

So its new name is an effort to broaden its appeal and speak for a wider audience. But it's still questionable whether the rebrand was necessary.

Look at the GSMA. No one talks about GSM anymore – that conversation ended decades ago. Its membership has also evolved, and these days it includes the likes of AMD, Intel, Meta and Microsoft, as well as countless other vendors from across the ecosystem – but the brand endures.

Similarly, TM Forum has adapted its mission from traditional telco IT systems management to the era of managing cloud adoption and digital transformation. In 2023, it welcomed Amazon Web Services (AWS) as a member. But it's still TM Forum.

No one could successfully argue that ETNO was the most captivating brand in telecoms, so there is an argument in favour of freshening it up and generally reinvigorating it.

But as Connect Europe, it will have to embark on something of a PR blitz if it wants to avoid being lost among all the other various efforts to connect Europe that are happening right now.