Telecommunications operators are demanding that the big US technologies pay for the use of the network as a contribution to the amounts invested to deploy and maintain those infrastructure deployments.

The appeal has brought together the CEO of Telefónica Spain, Emilio Gayo, and his counterparts in the Orange division in this country, Jean-François Fallacher, and that of Vodafone, Colman Deagan.

"The transfer of value from European technology companies to American

and other parts of the world is very evident

," Gayo stressed, calling for a continental regulation that protects these telecommunications operators, who have "maintained the levels of investment over income with falling income" in the sector: "Europe has to find the model to make its business fabric in the field of technology grow, because it is the one that provides investment, development, jobs and value.

This is resolved with laws and regulation

", stated the Telefónica executive.

"If I look at the Orange network, we can measure that more than 50% of our traffic comes from three OTT

[over the top

] platforms," ​​Fallacher summarized, referring to Alphabet (Google), Meta (Facebook) and Netflix.

"When you have three actors that are occupying half of your network, basically

they are not paying you anything and also they are not contributing to the investment

in the necessary infrastructure, we believe that this model must change. Your business is possible thanks to the investment that we are being carried out in Spain and in other European countries", stresses the head of Orange Spain.

The operators have assured that, despite dedicating their efforts to a deflationary business in a framework that paradoxically in their costs is conditioned by inflation at maximum levels, they do not foresee layoffs in the short term.

"We have no plans. There is a good relationship with the unions, we are together and our plans now are to work for a tax reduction in the sector and distribute the costs among the actors," said the CEO of Vodafone in Spain, Colman Deegan before the start of the conference

Fair contribution: one more step for the future of telecommunications companies

, in which the First Vice President and Minister of Economic Affairs,

Nadia Calviño, and the General Secretary of UGT, Pepe Álvarez,

also participated by videoconference .

"Operators like Orange have suffered a lot in recent years, with results that are public and very hard work to turn that situation around and return to profits. Our results are decreasing and we must not look at the results of these great players in the Network: the first is that they

are monsters, not like us, and the second is that their benefits are growing year after year

", Fallacher recalled: "It is urgent that Europe take the necessary measures to reverse this situation".

This claim is based on the fact that 40% of the traffic is due to three companies, Google, Meta and Netflix.

If three more are added, Apple, Amazon and Microsoft, 60% of all data in circulation would be reached, which is channeled through the networks of telecommunications operators.

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