EU countries reject plan for big tech companies to fund 5G rollout

Telecommunications ministers from at least 18 European Union countries have rejected a proposal by network operators to have major technology companies fund the rollout of 5G and broadband. The proposal, put forward by lobbying groups GSMA and ETNO (which represent 160 operators across Europe), says that big tech companies that account for more than 5% of a provider’s peak average internet traffic should help foot the bill for rolling out the services across Europe. The EU launched a consultation on the issue in February 2022. Telecommunications ministers met with EU Commissioner Thierry Breton to raise their objections, with those who are against the proposal saying there is a lack of analysis to prove the measure would actually work and some citing concerns that tech companies would end up passing these costs onto consumers. The report also said that some ministers are worried the proposal could potentially violate the EU’s net neutrality rules, which require all internet traffic to be treated without discrimination, blocking, throttling, or prioritization. Google, Apple, Meta, Netflix, Amazon, and Microsoft — all of which would most likely be the target of any network fee levy — have rejected the idea, arguing that they already invest heavily in the region’s digital ecosystem.