European mobile operators have reportedly called on companies such as Google, Apple and Facebook to pay for being seen on their networks. According to a Bloomberg report, major mobile operators, including Telecom Italia, France Telecom and Vodafone, would require content providers such as Google and Apple to pay for the usage of their products.
The call was echoed by Franco Bernabe, chief executive of Telecom Italia, and Cesar Alierta, CEO of Telefonica SA, at the LeWeb conference in Paris. According to Bernabe, the tension between user demand for data and the mobile networks' readiness is set to compromise the economic sustainability of the current business model for telecom companies.
The demand is likely to meet severe opposition from the companies whose content is attracting people to buy smartphones. According to media reports, the demands breach the principle of net neutrality, according to which companies offering connectivity should not charge providers for content passing over their networks.
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