internet lab | Podcast Season: 1 / Episode: 9 - 8-12-2022

1:1 with David Frautschy
Internet Society

Episode Highlights

00:00 Intro

01:00 Q1 - How do you interpret the relationship between users accessing more content and services online and the impact this may have on telcos?

05:31 Q2 - What are the inherent dangers (if any) of Big Tech being requested to pay for the network of telcos?

09:24 Q3 - Do you think it is appropriate to compare the contribution of Big Tech and telcos in infrastructure, as suggested by some?

11:56 You have 1 minute to deliver a message to the powers that be in the EU on the 'fair contribution' discussion: make your case.

13:26 Outro

Key Quotes

"The traffic, it's not pushed into the networks by these service providers (...) but it's the customers of the telcos that request the data, because they want to access such content."

1 / 14

"The traffic growth on the network of the telcos is being created by the telcos own customers, not by the online service providers."

2 / 14

"Telcos blame online service providers for the traffic growth, (...) to claim additional income, and this claim is unjustified."

3 / 14

"[EU’s 2030 digital targets:] there is plenty of money from the COVID recovery funds for digital, (...) €160 bln, and that pot is not being fully used."

4 / 14

"The danger is enormous if the interconnection of traffic is regulated: this is going to be the end of the Internet as we know it."

5 / 14

"The Internet has agreed on net neutrality rules to protect European users and our shared Internet experience."

6 / 14

"The negotiations that telecom operators propose are in direct conflict with net neutrality rules, this is clear. (...) regulating Internet traffic is going to break the way European citizens experience the Internet."

7 / 14

"Another huge risk of this [fair share] proposal (...) is that this will cement the domination of large online service providers."

8 / 14

"Infrastructure investments made by content providers have been significant in the last years, and those investments have benefited the whole value chain, including telcos."

9 / 14

"We are in deep doubt that there is any market failure (...) I ask policymakers to look well into the arguments, and first make sure that there is something that needs to be fixed."

10 / 14

"We are concerned that there is not enough dialogue and transparency about the measures that the Commission seems to be considering."

11 / 14

"This is not an issue only for telcos and service providers to discuss. This is an issue for all of the Internet community."

12 / 14

"I ask for a consultation that is public and open to participation of other stakeholders."

13 / 14

"We should not rush into policy solutions without deep analysis of the consequences."

14 / 14

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About Our Guest

David Frautschy | Senior Director for European Government and Regulatory Affairs - Internet Society

David is Senior Director for European Government and Regulatory Affairs at the Internet Society. He is impassioned about the power of the Internet to transform people’s lives and that was the reason that made him join ISOC. David is a government affairs professional with 20+ years of experience, 13+ of which focusing on telecom and digital regulations and trade policy.

Relevant Resources

ISOC Blog | Sender Pays: What Lessons European Policy Makers Should Take From The Case of South Korea, by Carl Gahnberg & David Frautschy

ISOC Event (6 December 2022) | How the Internet Works and Why Cost Sharing Proposals Can Damage and Fragment It

David Frautschy

1:1 with David FrautschyInternet Society