The European Network Usage Fees proposal is about much more than a fight between Big Tech and Big European telcos

The introduction of network usage fees in Europe could negatively impact the internet experience for consumers and small businesses, according to a report by Cloudflare. The company argues that such fees would discourage content delivery networks (CDNs) from directly interconnecting with terminating internet service providers (ISPs), leading to worse performance for users. Instead of paid peering, Cloudflare recommends more settlement-free peering between CDNs and ISPs as it improves latency and reduces traffic congestion at regional internet hubs.