This major european telecom They have warned for years that they are tired of single-handedly undertaking billion-dollar investments to deploy the telephony and internet networks on which digital transformation depends, and demanding regulatory change from the EU that forces major digital platforms such as: Aim (Facebook), Google, Netflix anyone Amazon with bear a portion of the cost of telecommunications infrastructures used to run their business.
This The European Commission has completed the opening of a public consultation as a step before we seriously examine a change in the rules of the game at the doors of the next round of very strong investments that must be undertaken to deploy next-generation 5G mobile connections. A reform that could open the door for tech giants to pay for the use of digital networks set up and operated by telecommunications companies.
At the opening gate of this public consultation, lThe major telecommunications employers (DigitalES) and technology companies (Ametic) existing in the Spanish market are at the forefront of a conflict. by considering how to distribute the cost of expanding the networks necessary to make the digital transformation of the economy and society as a whole a reality.
ameticBringing together companies from the technology, electronics and digital content industries, it calls for “prudential” and “broad discussion” before taking a tax action to reimburse telecommunications operators on companies that base their operations on the use of the internet. warns of the cost of carrying their traffic and the impact this can have on citizens, companies and the functioning of the Internet.
The association warns that users already pay telecommunications companies for an internet connection to access content. also, taxing platforms to pay for the network when their customers use the connection means double taxation. for the same service. In addition, Ametic emphasizes that technology companies are also investing millions of dollars in internet infrastructure to build data centers or submarine cables.
“Internet companies depend on a community of connected users consuming recommended content, which encourages consumers to contract for high-capacity internet services, creating a ‘virtuous circle’ of interdependence where each party provides different and complementary services. Emphasizing that it would mean to condition the use of the network to this payment, it would give telecommunication companies the power to distinguish between different content and would mean a restriction on free distribution of content, Ametic emphasizes, “it is in the user’s interest”.
From digitalES, Bringing together the major telecommunications operators in the country—previously integrated into Ametic itself, until a few years ago it was discriminated against—also argues that there should be a discussion about paying for the use of networks, but then demands the result. to what the digital industry stands for.
The telecommunications association highlights the need for a discussion on “how to make a fair contribution” for major digital platforms to “help manage the traffic they generate and that greatly strains the capacity of networks”. Telefónica, Vodafone and Orange are the only six major groups (Google, Facebook, Netflix, viewAmazon and Microsoft) concentrate 60% of the data traffic passing through them.