'Fair Share' Fees From OTTs Just Part of Bigger Debate, EC Says

meeting of EU telecom ministers in Leon, Spain. Among other things, government officials discussed how to ensure Europe has the right infrastructure to achieve its "digital decade" goals. The European Commission recently consulted on the future of electronic communications networks and plans to publish a "white paper" during the Belgian EU Presidency, which begins in January, Breton said. Government officials at the meeting agreed that boosting European networks will mean defining the technology of future networks, determining how to fund them, and deciding whether any new regulation is needed, he said. Responses to the consultation showed little appetite, except among some large telcos, for making content providers pay operators to carry their material (see 2310110032). "Our purpose is much broader than" fair share; "we need to share a common vision," Breton said. The white paper will discuss payment for network usage, but that's not the overarching issue, he added. Lobbying for and against the idea continued before the meeting. The Computer and Communications Industry Association, several national tech and trade associations and France’s largest internet exchange point strongly opposed usage fees and urged the EC and governments to reject them. GSMA Europe warned "the clock is ticking" to determine whether Europe leads or lags behind. Among other things, mobile operators said, countries must introduce "a digital infrastructure framework that enables the huge effort in rollout and network transformation required to achieve 2030 targets, fostering investment by tackling low returns for service providers and finding a new financing model in the digital value chain that allows for sustainable, secure and efficient use of Europe’s networks."