Network fee on Big Tech not a viable solution to boost EU digital rollout, EU says
Empower your mind, elevate your skills
The European Commission does not think that imposing a network fee on Big Tech companies is a viable solution to the debate over who should fund the rollout of 5G and broadband, a spokesman for the EU executive said on Thursday.The issue pits Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefonica and Telecom Italia against Alphabet's Google, Meta's Facebook, Netflix, Microsoft and Amazon.Europe's major telecoms operators have for years urged EU regulators to get Big Tech to bear some of the rollout costs because they make up a huge part of internet traffic, calling it fair share funding.Big Tech has pushed back, characterising it as an internet tax while pointing to their own efforts to increase the efficiency of their services.The debate has gained in intensity following a White House fact sheet released on July 28 following a trade deal with the European Union which said that the bloc confirmed that it would not adopt or maintain network usage fees.While reaffirming that the EU has the sovereign rights to legislate on its digital infrastructure, Commission spokesman Thomas Regnier said a White Paper or guidance paper issued last year had already decided on the issue of network fees."We have published a White Paper last year in February. Based on the findings of this White Paper, we have assessed and we believe that imposing a network fee is not a viable solution," Regnier told a daily press conference when asked about the White House fact sheet."What is important to clarify now is that such an exemption would not apply to US companies only," he said.The Commission is expected to issue a legislative proposal called the Digital Networks Act in November which will take a more comprehensive approach to boost digital infrastructure across Europe.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
EU attempts to rattle China, finds itself on knees? Beijing strikes Lithuanian banks in bold move
EU attempts to rattle China, finds itself on knees? Beijing strikes Lithuanian banks in bold move
Economic Times
5 hours ago
- Economic Times
The search is on behind closed doors; 5G has to reach there
Synopsis Despite the push from telecom carriers and the government, providing seamless 4G and 5G connectivity inside buildings in India faces hurdles. High-frequency spectrum challenges signal penetration, while low average revenue per user impacts the financial viability of in-building solutions. Efforts are underway by TRAI and DoT to improve indoor connectivity and address regulatory hurdles. Representative image. New Delhi: The ongoing initiatives to provide 4G and 5G connectivity inside buildings and establishments are mired with challenges, despite a proactive push from the private telecom carriers and the government, said industry India, the deployment of in-building solutions (IBS) began around 2016-17 with the launch of 4G, and has accelerated recently with the densification of 5G networks, which use a combination of spectrum bands with varying propagation and material penetration characteristics. Network testing firm Ookla said the trend towards higher frequency spectrum for 5G, for instance, the 3.5 GHz mid-band, limits the ability of the existing mobile network sites to provide high-speed mobile coverage deep indoors. 'The signals that mid-band 5G networks rely on struggle to penetrate the materials in their path when the user is indoors,' it said. The significance of consistent indoor connectivity can be noted by the fact that mobile users, on average, consume 80% of data indoors, a proportion that is only going to increase with the advent of more 5G-driven applications, according to Sweden's Ericsson. But the segment has immense growth potential. Globally, the in-building wireless market size is projected to grow from $20 billion in 2024 to $35.5 billion by 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.1% during the forecast period, according to MarketsandMarkets Research. The emergence of smart devices, including IoT devices and wearables, is contributing to the expansion of the in-building wireless market, it said. IBS deployment not only has enormous potential to provide indoor connectivity but also to significantly transform the customer experience, business operations, revenue streams and overall market positioning for India's commercial establishments, according to the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI). The industry body represents India's top telcos Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea. IBS infrastructure comprises small cells, distributed antenna systems (DAS), and optical fibre cable (OFC). 'In India, (IBS) deployments are largely concentrated in high-profile, large-scale public infrastructure, such as airports, premium residential complexes, and expansive commercial developments. This is primarily due to the unfavorable economics of IBS in most other settings,' said Kunal Bajaj, CEO & co-founder of the need for improved indoor coverage is urgent and would significantly enhance macro network efficiency and user experience, low average revenue per user (ARPU) challenge the financial viability of many potential projects, he said. 'As a result, the market remains underpenetrated despite clear demand,' Bajaj Kochhar, however, said that despite ARPUs not being optimal, the telecom industry is still continuously investing in network infrastructure upgrades. 'In fact, TSPs have taken the initiative of having innovative partnership models with enterprises and infrastructure providers, which increasingly take care of the investment-related issues to the best possible extent,' he added. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), too, has been undertaking efforts along with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the industry to improve in-building connectivity. In its recommendations on "Rating of Buildings or Areas for Digital Connectivity", the sector regulator suggested a property manager should be permitted to set-up, operate, maintain, and expand IBS within a single building, compound, or estate without requiring authorisation from the central government.
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
The search is on behind closed doors; 5G has to reach there
Despite the push from telecom carriers and the government, providing seamless 4G and 5G connectivity inside buildings in India faces hurdles. High-frequency spectrum challenges signal penetration, while low average revenue per user impacts the financial viability of in-building solutions. Efforts are underway by TRAI and DoT to improve indoor connectivity and address regulatory hurdles. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads TRAI, DoT initiatives New Delhi: The ongoing initiatives to provide 4G and 5G connectivity inside buildings and establishments are mired with challenges, despite a proactive push from the private telecom carriers and the government, said industry India, the deployment of in-building solutions (IBS) began around 2016-17 with the launch of 4G, and has accelerated recently with the densification of 5G networks, which use a combination of spectrum bands with varying propagation and material penetration testing firm Ookla said the trend towards higher frequency spectrum for 5G, for instance, the 3.5 GHz mid-band, limits the ability of the existing mobile network sites to provide high-speed mobile coverage deep indoors. 'The signals that mid-band 5G networks rely on struggle to penetrate the materials in their path when the user is indoors,' it significance of consistent indoor connectivity can be noted by the fact that mobile users, on average, consume 80% of data indoors, a proportion that is only going to increase with the advent of more 5G-driven applications, according to Sweden's the segment has immense growth the in-building wireless market size is projected to grow from $20 billion in 2024 to $35.5 billion by 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.1% during the forecast period, according to MarketsandMarkets emergence of smart devices, including IoT devices and wearables, is contributing to the expansion of the in-building wireless market, it deployment not only has enormous potential to provide indoor connectivity but also to significantly transform the customer experience, business operations, revenue streams and overall market positioning for India's commercial establishments, according to the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI). The industry body represents India's top telcos Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea . IBS infrastructure comprises small cells, distributed antenna systems (DAS), and optical fibre cable (OFC).'In India, (IBS) deployments are largely concentrated in high-profile, large-scale public infrastructure, such as airports, premium residential complexes, and expansive commercial developments. This is primarily due to the unfavorable economics of IBS in most other settings,' said Kunal Bajaj, CEO & co-founder of the need for improved indoor coverage is urgent and would significantly enhance macro network efficiency and user experience, low average revenue per user (ARPU) challenge the financial viability of many potential projects, he said. 'As a result, the market remains underpenetrated despite clear demand,' Bajaj Kochhar, however, said that despite ARPUs not being optimal, the telecom industry is still continuously investing in network infrastructure upgrades. 'In fact, TSPs have taken the initiative of having innovative partnership models with enterprises and infrastructure providers, which increasingly take care of the investment-related issues to the best possible extent,' he Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), too, has been undertaking efforts along with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the industry to improve in-building its recommendations on "Rating of Buildings or Areas for Digital Connectivity", the sector regulator suggested a property manager should be permitted to set-up, operate, maintain, and expand IBS within a single building, compound, or estate without requiring authorisation from the central government.
