Is This a Turning Point?

This could be a major turning point in the relationship between telecom network operators and the over-the-top (OTT) services community.

The CEO of France Télécom – Orange appears to have suggested during a TV interview that Google will be compensating the telco for the massive volumes of Google traffic running over its networks, according to this AFP report.

Now, I'd be tempted to wait until there is a formal announcement (during an investor call or shareholder meeting, for example) before believing there is any sort of legal precedent being set here, but this certainly signifies a shift in the net neutrality debate.

This is the culmination of an ongoing wrangle between multiple French carriers and Cogent Communications Group Inc., Google's ISP, that earlier this month led to a rather rash move by competitive operator Iliad. (See Online Liberty Tested in France.)

— Ray Le Maistre, International Managing Editor, Light Reading