A group of 13 major European telcos want US tech giants, such as Netflix, YouTube and Facebook, to fund the development of 5G services.
The grouping, led by BT, Vodafone and Deutsche Telekom, believe the companies use the networks so heavily, they should contribute to their future. Although they do not mention specific companies, there is no question as to who is in their sights, arguing that 5G, fibre and cable networks need to invest heavily in order to meet the demands of the cloud-based streaming services.
It is an argument that has been made previously without recourse.
A joint statement seen by Reuters reads: “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,” they said.
CEOs of Telefonica, Orange, KPN, BT Group, Telekom Austria, Vivacom, Proximus, Telenor, Altice Portugal, Telia Company and Swisscom have also signed the statement.
