BRUSSELS, Belgium – The Netherlands on Monday, February 27, warned against hitting Big Tech with a so-called internet toll to help pay for billions of euros in network investments, saying such a move may breach net neutrality rules and lead to price hikes for Europeans.
Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefonica, Telecom Italia, and other operators have long lobbied for a Big Tech contribution and have found an ally in Breton, a former chief executive at Orange. Adriaansens said the Dutch government had commissioned a study by economic consultancy Oxera which showed the drawbacks of such a tax.
“We should analyze the problem first and what the normal market reaction is to these challenges. The first one is the government in place to facilitate or are there other funds available or is it just the markets’ responsibility to take care of this infrastructure?” Adriaansens said.