Telcos detail plan to charge Big Tech firms for access to Internet users
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European Internet service providers say they should be allowed to demand new fees from online companies that account for over 5 percent of a telco's average peak traffic.
Telecom companies, which have been seeking payments from tech firms for many years, a few months ago convinced the European Union government to seek public input on the controversial plan to make online platforms pay for broadband network upgrades and expansions. The 5 percent figure was pitched to the EU this week in a proposal from the GSM Association, which represents mobile network operators, and the European Telecommunications Network Operators' Association (ETNO).
In a "summary of the joint telecom industry response to the EU consultation," which was provided to Ars by ETNO, the groups wrote: