EU official defends talks with Big Tech on digital infrastructure upgrade

Europe's existing telecom networks aren't up to nan occupation of handling surging amounts of net information traffic, a apical European Union charismatic said Monday, arsenic he defended a consultation connected whether Big Tech companies should thief salary for upgrades.

The telecom manufacture needs to reconsider its business models arsenic it undergoes a "radical shift" fueled by a caller activity of invention specified arsenic immersive, data-hungry technologies for illustration nan metaverse, Thierry Breton, nan European Commission's charismatic successful complaint of integer policy, said astatine a awesome manufacture expo successful Barcelona called MWC, aliases Mobile World Congress.

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Breton's remarks came days aft he announced a consultation connected whether integer giants should thief lend to nan billions needed to build nan 27-nation bloc's early communications infrastructure, including next-generation 5G wireless and fiber-optic cablegram connections, to support up pinch surging request for integer data.

"Yes, of course, we will request to find a financing exemplary for nan immense investments needed," Breton said successful a transcript of a keynote reside astatine nan MWC conference.

A awesome manufacture expo successful Barcelona saw a apical European Commission integer argumentation charismatic take sides talks pinch Big Tech complete nan backing of telecommunications infrastructure connected nan continent. (AP Photo/Joan Mateu Parra)

Telecommunications companies kick they person had to ft nan important costs of building and operating web infrastructure only for large integer streaming platforms for illustration Netflix and Facebook to use from nan surging user request for online services.

"The consultation has been described by galore arsenic nan conflict complete adjacent stock betwixt Big Telco and Big Tech," Breton said. "A binary prime betwixt those who supply networks coming and those who provender them pinch nan traffic. That is not really I spot things."

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Big tech companies opportunity consumers could suffer because they'd extremity up paying twice, pinch other fees for their online subscriptions.

Breton denied that nan consultation was an onslaught connected Big Tech aliases that he was siding pinch telecom companies.

"I’m proposing a caller approach," he later told reporters. Topics up for chat see really overmuch finance is needed and whether regulations request to beryllium changed, he said.

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"We will person zero taboo. Do we request to accommodate it? Do we request to talk who should salary for what? This is precisely what is nan consultation today," Breton said.