November 30, 2021
The CEOs of 13 European telecoms companies issued a joint statement calling for major technology companies to pay some of the fees needed for their network upgrades.
In addition to this demand, the letter also addressed in detail other regulatory issues related to fibre and mobile broadband networks.
The letter states: “A large and increasing part of network traffic is generated and monetized by big tech platforms, but it requires continuous, intensive network investment and planning by the telecommunications sector. This Model- which enables EU citizens to enjoy the fruits of the digital transformation- can only be sustainable if such big tech platforms also contribute fairly to network costs.”
While the signed letter did not mention a single tech giant by name, Reuters revealed that “US-listed giants such as Netflix and Facebook are companies they have in mind.”
Among the European ISPs who came together to make the claim are CEOs of A1 Telekom Austria Group, Vivacom, Proximus Group, Telenor Group, KPN, Altrice Portugal, Deutsche Telekom, BT Group, Telia Company, Telefónica, Vodafone Group, Orange Group and Swisscom.
For more information read the original story in Arstechnica.
