The EU evaluates an expansion of its regulatory framework so that large technology companies participate in the financing of network development 5G in Europe, according to a document to which AFP had access this Wednesday.
European telecoms companies, including Orange and Vodafone, have long called on the EU to allow the technology and streaming pay for the large amounts of bandwidth they use.
Technology groups, meanwhile, allege that these companies already make money from customers, while defenders of so-called digital rights fear that the situation will lead to a two-speed Internet.
The document seen by AFP mentions that the European Commission – the executive arm of the EU – “could consider expanding the scope and objectives of the current regulatory framework to guarantee a level playing field.”
It could also consider guaranteeing “equivalent rights and obligations for all actors and end users of digital networks.”
The document also shows that the EU is considering whether mergers of telecoms companies should be approved to ensure that the firms can pay for the rollout of the 5G network.
The text points out a “fragmentation” of the EU telecommunications market that “could affect the ability of operators to achieve the scale necessary to invest in the networks of the future.”
The European Comission In 2016, it blocked the sale of the British telecommunications giant O2, by Telefónica, to the CK Hutchison group, of Hong Kong.
On February 22, the Commission must announce its decision on the merger of the giant French Telecom with the Spanish company MásMóvil.
Source: Gestion
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