Most EU Ministers Oppose Fair Share for Tech Giants

Communications ministers from several EU member states indicated opposition to large technology players contributing to mobile network costs. However, a number of their peers back a levy, according to a Reuters report.

The news website claims that 18 national representatives either were completely against a network levy on content providers or wanted a wider investigation. Representatives from ten nations are said to have backed charges. Those reportedly critical of the move include representatives from Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark, while those in favor of a network levy included France, Italy, and Spain. The speculation is the latest in what is a hot, but divisive issue in the European telecommunications and technology sectors, with big-name operators calling for large players to contribute to the underlying infrastructure used to deliver their services.

Unsurprisingly, large content providers including Netflix and Meta Platforms have voiced opposition to the move. The issue was included in a wider European Commission consultation into various elements of the communications industry, which had a deadline of mid-May for comments. In its response to the consultation, the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications expressed reservations about mandatory financial contributions from large content and application providers to ISPs in the form of a sending-party network pays regime.