According to Bloomberg reports, the European Union is evaluating a new proposal: let Apple, Netflix and Alphabet and other technology companies that take up the most broadband resources invest money to build the next generation of Internet infrastructure.
The proposal was made by the European Union’s executive body from a vision of “fair share,” which requires large technology companies that provide streaming video and other data-intensive services to help pay for the traffic they generate.
The draft document, part of a consultation with industry, suggests that companies could contribute to a fund to offset the cost of building 5G mobile networks and fiber infrastructure, and create a mandatory system to direct tech giants to pay telecom operators.
There’s still a long way to go before the proposal hits the ground, but it’s already causing a lot of controversies. The EU’s electronic communications regulator found last October that there was “no evidence” that platforms such as Netflix or YouTube should pay telecoms companies to invest in Internet infrastructure, saying the move could “cause significant damage to the Internet ecosystem “.
This is the equivalent of playing games and watching videos that take up a lot of broadband resources, so Tencent and other technology companies need to pay the operators.
