The European Commission does not think that imposing a network fee on big technology companies is a viable solution to the debate over who should fund the roll-out of 5G and broadband, a spokesman for the EU executive said on Thursday.
The issue pits Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica and Telecom Italia against Google, Facebook, Netflix, Microsoft and Amazon.
Europe’s major telecommunications operators have for years urged EU regulators to get Big Tech to bear some of the roll-out costs because they make up a huge part of internet traffic, calling it “fair share” funding.
Big Tech has pushed back, characterising it as an internet tax while pointing to their own efforts to increase the efficiency of their services.
The debate has gained in intensity following a White House fact sheet released on 28 July following a trade deal with the EU which said that the bloc confirmed that it would not adopt or maintain network usage fees.
While reaffirming that the EU has the sovereign rights to legislate on its digital infrastructure, commission spokesman Thomas Regnier said a white paper or guidance paper issued last year had already decided on the issue of network fees.
“We have published a white paper last year in February. Based on the findings of this white paper, we have assessed and we believe that imposing a network fee is not a viable solution,” Regnier told a daily press conference when asked about the White House fact sheet.
Digital Networks Act
“What is important to clarify now is that such an exemption would not apply to US companies only,” he said.
The commission is expected to issue a legislative proposal called the Digital Networks Act in November which will take a more comprehensive approach to boost digital infrastructure across Europe.
South African telecoms operators have also been lobbying for a Fair Share-style approach in South Africa. The Association of Comms & Technology (ACT), representing the six largest telecoms providers in South Africa, has formally advocated for the adoption of Fair Share policies, arguing that without them operators may be discouraged from investing in essential infrastructure upgrades, especially ahead of 5G roll‑out initiatives.
Read: Vodacom, MTN want internet giants to pay their ‘fair share’
But Dominic Cull, regulatory advisor to the Internet Service Providers’ Association, has called Fair Share a “non‑starter”. He has argued it is unfair to impose mandatory fees that favour large incumbents and disadvantage smaller operators, who themselves have been affected by past unfair industry practices. — Foo Yun Chee, with Bart Meijers, (c) 2025 Reuters, with additional reporting (c) 2025 NewsCentral Media
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