The alphabet unit Google rebuffed a push by European telecoms operators to have Big Tech help fund network costs, calling it a 10-year-old idea that was bad for consumers and noting that the company was already investing millions in internet infrastructure.
The remarks by Matt Brittin, Google’s president of EMEA business and operations, come as the European Commission stated that it would seek feedback from the telecoms and technology industries on the issue in the coming months before making any legislative proposals. Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefonica, and other large operators have long complained about tech rivals freeriding on their networks, claiming that they use a large portion of internet traffic and should pay for it.