Digital Networks Act: the return of the ‘network fee’ to the European Parliament
Presented on 20 October, the draft report by Polish MEP Michał Kobosko (Renew Europe) on the Digital Networks Act (DNA) goes significantly further than the proposal for a regulation put forward by the European Commission in January. And certain provisions are already causing concern amongst technology companies. The first issue is that of the‘fair share’ – a demand that has been championed for several years by the… major European telecoms operators, who wish to see the leading providers of digital content and services contribute to the costs of their networks. The Commission had ultimately ruled out any mandatory contribution, favouring a voluntary conciliation mechanism to facilitate commercial discussions on interconnection. Mandatory negotiations, under the arbitration of regulators In his draft proposal, which has not yet been discussed in a parliamentary…