Last week the European Commission launched a consultation on who should invest in Europe’s telecoms network. Large US tech firms in response called it an internet tax that will undermine EU network neutrality.
Over various years Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefonica, Telecom Italia and other operators have lobbied for leading technology companies to contribute to 5G and broadband roll-out.
Eu Alphabet’s Google, Apple, Meta, Netflix, Amazon and Microsoft account for more than half of data internet traffic.
Related: EU To Have A Consultation On Big Tech & Telecoms Costs
Facebook parent company Meta, said regulators should acknowledge Big Tech’s investments.”Meta invests tens of billions of dollars in our apps and platforms every year to facilitate the hosting of content, creating enormous value across the digital ecosystem,” a spokesperson said.
The 12-week consultation will end on May 19.
