According to sources, most EU governments have rejected a request by Europe’s leading telecoms carriers to require leading Tech to subsidize 5G and internet deployment.
At a Thursday meeting with EU industry chief Thierry Breton in Luxembourg, telecoms ministers from 18 nations either rejected or criticized the planned network fee levy on digital businesses, sources said.
That echoed BEREC’s views last month. Deutsche Telekom (DTEGn.DE), Orange (ORAN.PA), Telefonica (TEF.MC), and Telecom Italia want Big Tech to pay some of the network costs, and European Commission industry chief Breton, a former France Telecom and Atos CEO are listening.
Alphabet Inc. Google, Apple Inc (AAPL.O), Meta Platforms Inc (META.O), Netflix Inc (NFLX.O), Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O), and Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) oppose a charge because they invest in the digital ecosystem.
People claimed the ministers noted the lack of a network levy analysis, an investment gap, and the risk of Big Tech passing on the extra cost to consumers through increased pricing.
They warned of potential violations of EU net neutrality regulations, impediments to innovation, and lower product quality.
People said Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Lithuania, Malta, and the Netherlands criticized.
They asserted Cyprus, France, Greece, Hungary, and Italy supported the concept, while Poland, Portugal, and Romania were neutral or had no view.
By June 30, Breton will release a report summarizing Big Tech, telecoms, and other feedback to guide his future measures.
EU governments and parliamentarians must negotiate any legislative proposal before it becomes law.
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