EU official defends talks on Big Tech helping fund networks

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — A top European Union official says existing telecom networks aren’t up to the job of handling surging amounts of internet data traffic and defended a consultation on whether Big Tech companies should help pay for upgrades. Thierry Breton said Monday that the telecom industry needs to reconsider its business models as it undergoes a “radical shift” fueled by a new wave of innovation such as immersive, data-hungry technologies like the metaverse. Breton’s remarks at a major industry expo in Barcelona called MWC, or Mobile World Congress, came days after he announced a consultation on whether digital giants should help contribute to the billions needed to build the 27-nation bloc’s future communications infrastructure.