Euro Operators Want Apple, Facebook, Google to Pay Up
Dec 8, 2010, 1:20 PM by Eric M. Zeman
A handful of European wireless network operators, including France Telecom, Telecom Italia, and Vodafone Group, want Apple, Facebook and Google to help finance the billions of dollars needed to upgrade the operators' wireless networks. The European operators claim that because people use the mobile services developed by Apple, Facebook, and Google, the amount of mobile data transiting their networks has surged — mandating upgrades. In particular, the operators site video messaging and video uploads to services such as YouTube and Facebook for contributing to the network surge. They argue that companies such as Apple, Facebook and Google use the wireless networks for free at the expense of the network operators. France Telecom Chief Executive Officer Stephane Richard said, "It's necessary to put in place a system of payments by service providers as a function of their use."
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Comments
Am I missing something?
So, I hate to be a 'Debbie Dower' but aren't the subscribers to the respected cell providers PAYING to use this bandwidth?
Yes, these providers would be double dipping in the sense that they are charging the consumer and the provider a fee so that they can communicate.
Without the content providers, their services would be useless, I'm surprised they haven't tried to g...
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Without the content providers, their services would be useless, I'm surprised they haven't tried to g...
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In the end it doesn't matter
We end up paying, either way. Either we pay higher prices to our carrier to pay for their upgrades or we pay higher prices for what Googles' advertisers sell.
Google would just pass the cost onto their advertisers, who would pass it on to the consumers of their products.
It's like when the local goverment threatens to raise property taxes because the state cut its budget. Who do they think is paying the state? It's just about how many hands the money passes through and who's taking their cut.
Google would just pass the cost onto their advertisers, who would pass it on to the consumers of their products.
It's like when the local goverment threatens to raise property taxes because the state cut its budget. Who do they think is paying the state? It's just about how many hands the money passes through and who's taking their cut.
I'm glad I read through all the responses before posting. I feel the same way. There really is no point in arguing over it since there will probably be a charge somewhere. I like what someone else said too about it just depending on whos hands the mon...
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Really?
Seriously? Are these people for real? That's like asking Ford, GM, Chrysler, Toyota, Nissan, etc. to pay for the upkeep of roads because people drive their cars on them! Get real! And, thanks for the laugh!! 🤣
kudos.
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Yeah, these carriers are fk'd up in the head!
larry39110 said:...
Seriously? Are these people for real? That's like asking Ford, GM, Chrysler, Toyota, Nissan, etc. to pay for the upkeep of roads because people drive their cars on them! Get real! And, thanks for the laugh!! 🤣<
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OK, lets apply this to germany then...
So im a BMW owner, and we are known as the most aggressive ****y drivers in the US... so if we apply that same rule for most speeders/accidents... then germany should be paying the US for making the roads a hazard right?
more likely BMW should pay to have all our roads rebuilt to the standards for the Autobahn.
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Has anyone noticed?
That the above mentioned companies aren't EU based? Seems the EU has no problems with its own industry, but be it American, Canadian or whathaveyou then they get attacked, be it anti-trust, or crap like this.
Versed said:...
That the above mentioned companies aren't EU based? Seems the EU has no problems with its own industry, but be it American, Canadian or whathaveyou then they get attacked, be it anti-trust, or crap like this.
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Put the Pipe Down!
Seriously? So you have a product which is popular thus bringing in revenue through the sale of features and stand alone data plans which bring in beau coup revenue and you want to get paid on the other end as well? Hopefully these companies laugh those mofos STRAIGHT out the damned door!
They Could just.......
Block facebook and google from their phones, and watch their subscribers drop their service. Its really not google or facebooks problem, and they could easily just say "No, go **** yourself"
I can't help but wonder what would happen if Google, Facebook, etc. detected the IP and replaced their page with a message that just said, "Your carrier is not supported. Here's a list of local carriers that are compatible with our service."
It could happen here, too...
This nothing new, nor limited to Europe. If AT&T, VZ Communications, Comcast, etc., had their way, we would pay them for Internet access, and then they would extort additional money from Google, Yahoo!, Facebook, etc., for delivery of that Internet traffic to us.
"How do you think they're going to get to customers? Through a broadband pipe. Cable companies have them. We have them. Now what they would like to do is use my pipes free, but I ain't going to let them do that because we have spent this capital and we have to have a return on it. So there's going to have to be some mechanism for these people who use these pipes to pay for the portion they're using. Why should they be allowed to use my pipes?
"The Internet can't be free in th...
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"How do you think they're going to get to customers? Through a broadband pipe. Cable companies have them. We have them. Now what they would like to do is use my pipes free, but I ain't going to let them do that because we have spent this capital and we have to have a return on it. So there's going to have to be some mechanism for these people who use these pipes to pay for the portion they're using. Why should they be allowed to use my pipes?
"The Internet can't be free in th...
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Yep, I remember that. Basically, all this is is a cynical money grab. The carriers want to charge both their customers for accessing the Internet and then charge the content providers for allowing them to have access to those subs.
But it's a dan...
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But it's a dan...
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make the internet pay for people to use it?
Wait... what?
Don't they have customers and a pricing structure along with rate plans that are adjusted based on what the customer wants?
If the customer uses a lot of bandwidth, he/she should pay for it accordingly. NOT the websites the customer chooses to visit or the hardware he chooses to visit the site on.
And where would you ever draw the line????
If someone from Europe visits my website on their mobile device would I be forced to pay their service providers money to build out their network????
Don't they have customers and a pricing structure along with rate plans that are adjusted based on what the customer wants?
If the customer uses a lot of bandwidth, he/she should pay for it accordingly. NOT the websites the customer chooses to visit or the hardware he chooses to visit the site on.
And where would you ever draw the line????
If someone from Europe visits my website on their mobile device would I be forced to pay their service providers money to build out their network????
justfinethanku said:...
Wait... what?
Don't they have customers and a pricing structure along with rate plans that are adjusted based on what the customer wants?
If the customer uses a lot of bandwidth, he/she should pay for i
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Hmmmmmm.
It sounds like either the European carriers are not charging enough for services in order to offset costs, or us Americans are paying to much to the carriers where they reap huge profits.
John B.
John B.
They need google/facebook/apple
These companies help the wireless industry a lot. The reason so many people want data plans and smart phones are to use services like facebook and google maps, and they want iphones and android phones.
They act like all of this new traffic and all of these new customers don't bring them more revenue. If their business model doesn't support them increasing revenue and profit when they get more customers and more usage - that's their problem. Your business breaks when you have a lot of customers? To bad.
Telecommunications industry should be thanking these companies and others for giving people things to do on their smart phones and data networks.
They act like all of this new traffic and all of these new customers don't bring them more revenue. If their business model doesn't support them increasing revenue and profit when they get more customers and more usage - that's their problem. Your business breaks when you have a lot of customers? To bad.
Telecommunications industry should be thanking these companies and others for giving people things to do on their smart phones and data networks.
LOL
Hilarious. I think Apple, Facebook, and Google should pull their products. Europeans can go back to using Nokia's latest-and-greatest-from-2004 product line and continue their tradition of never getting stuff done. 🤣
LMAO! Seriously...I completely agree with you bluecoyote. That is the stupidest thing I've heard in a long time.
bluecoyote said:...
Hilarious. I think Apple, Facebook, and Google should pull their products. Europeans can go back to using Nokia's latest-and-greatest-from-2004 product line and continue their tradition of never getting stuff done.
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So can the websites also claim that the carriers owe THEM money because wireless phones have increased the usage of their servers?
And then both of them owe money to your local power plants because all of these computers and cell phones increase el...
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And then both of them owe money to your local power plants because all of these computers and cell phones increase el...
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