How ETNO’s ‘Fair Share’ Proposal Threatens Europe’s Digital Future:
The digital transformation of Europe—and, indeed, the world—has been a defining theme of the 21st century. As with all significant shifts, it has also come with its share of challenges, opportunities, and controversies.
One such controversy that has recently reemerged is the so-called “fair share” proposal for network traffic—championed most recently in a statement from the European Telecommunications Network Operators’ Association (ETNO)—under which the major tech platforms would be made to finance improvements to EU telecom networks. While ostensibly a call for regulatory change, the deeper one delves, the more evident it becomes that ETNO’s proposal is less about fairness and more a strategic play for legacy telecoms to tap into the vast revenues of major content producers.