A top EU official warned on Monday that Europe’s aging telecom networks can’t handle the influx of internet data traffic and supported a consultation on whether or not Big Tech should help pay for renovations.
Thierry Breton, the European Commission’s official in charge of digital policy, stated at MWC, or Mobile World Congress, that the telecom industry is undergoing a “radical shift” fueled by a new wave of innovation, such as immersive, data-hungry technologies like the metaverse, and that the industry’s current business models need to be rethought.
Breton’s comments came after he announced a consultation on whether or not tech giants should chip in some of the billions required to construct the 27-nation bloc’s future communications infrastructure, such as next-generation 5G wireless and fiber-optic cable connections, to keep up with surging demand for digital data.
Breton stated in a transcript from a keynote address at the MWC conference, “Well, of course, we will need to establish a finance strategy for the vast expenditures needed.”
Telecommunications providers have griped that they have borne the high expenses of establishing and maintaining network infrastructure, only to see large digital streaming platforms like Netflix and Facebook reap the rewards of the rising demand for online services.
