Concerns mount over acquisitions in telcos

Worrying message: The Telefonica SA flagship store in central Madrid. Following STC’s acquisition of a 9.9% stake in the company, the Spanish government is now scrutinising it to ensure that its strategic interests are upheld. — Bloomberg

BRUSSELS: Europe’s telecom operators pushing for Big Tech to help pay for the rollout of 5G and broadband will likely have to wait for the next European Commission to decide whether to propose rules to this end, people familiar with the matter say.

Telecoms companies said Alphabet’s Google, Meta’s Facebook, Netflix, Microsoft and Amazon should bear some of the rollout costs because they make up a huge part of Internet traffic.