Image: APA/AFP/Tribouillard
A mechanism of direct payments to telecom providers would have “immediate and far-reaching negative consequences – not only for European businesses but also for consumers,” said a statement released this week. Consumer advocates appeal to European institutions “to refrain from introducing such a counterproductive measure”.
The signatories to the appeal include the European consumer protection organization BEUC (The European Consumer Organization), the US civil rights group EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation), the German digital society, the Wikipedia association Wikimedia Europe and Internet and telecommunications service providers.
Half the data volume
Network operators in Europe have been asking platforms with high data volumes to pay for years. Ongoing EU consultations on the subject give the telecoms industry hope that it will reach its goal. Providers say the largest online services account for around 55 percent of traffic. This costs European network operators around 15 billion dollars (13.7 billion euros) annually.
Source: Nachrichten
