Carr calls for fair telecom treatment in Europe amid trade talks

By Brett Rowland
The Center Square

U.S. officials are calling for fair treatment of American companies in Europe as broader trade negotiations continue.

The calls for fairness come amid European Union plans for measures that would give European firms an advantage over foreign firms in military contracting, space operations and digital supply chains.

Brendan Carr, head of the Federal Communications Commission, said the U.S. wants satellite operators treated fairly in Europe.

“It’s called reciprocity,” he said in a social media post. “And it is revealing to see how strongly Europeans react when told that European businesses operating in the U.S. will be treated the same as American businesses operating in the E.U.”

United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer recently criticized European countries for adopting protectionist policies.

“The United States has raised concerns with the EU for years on these matters without meaningful engagement or basic acknowledgement of U.S. concerns,” he said in a social media post. “In stark contrast, EU service providers have been able to operate freely in the United States for decades, benefitting from access to our market and consumers on a level playing field.”

Greer warned: “If the EU and EU Member States insist on continuing to restrict, limit, and deter the competitiveness of U.S. service providers through discriminatory means, the United States will have no choice but to begin using every tool at its disposal to counter these unreasonable measures. Should responsive measures be necessary, U.S. law permits the assessment of fees or restrictions on foreign services, among other actions. The United States will take a similar approach to other countries that pursue an EU-style strategy in this area.”

A U.S.-EU trade agreement reached last year said that “the European Union confirms that it will not adopt or maintain network usage fees.” However, some argue that the European Commission’s proposed expansion of the Digital Networks Act could introduce network usage fees.

Kevin Frazier, an AI and innovation fellow at the University of Texas at Austin, noted that several EU countries are considering regulations that would put U.S. companies at a disadvantage when operating in Europe.

“Europe is preparing to apply the same protectionist instincts to the next technological frontier,” he wrote in a recent op-ed. “This could not come at a worse time. As China moves ahead on its technological ambitions, the West is in danger of undercutting its shrinking AI lead. There’s still time for a course correction, but that window is closing.”

Some observers have pointed to Deutsche Telekom, the parent company of T-Mobile, as a supporter of the European Union’s efforts to expand digital regulations on American firms.

Michael Lucci, CEO of State Armor, a policy group focused on global issues, accused Deutsche Telekom of playing both sides of the regulatory debate.

“Deutsche Telekom, known as T-Mobile in the U.S., has mastered the art of disguising itself as an all-American success story while quietly advancing anti-American policies to kneecap U.S. companies in Europe. They reap the benefits of America’s open markets, rapidly becoming one of the largest telecommunication providers in our country, while trying to deny American companies the same opportunities in Europe,” he told The Center Square. “The German-owned giant … lobbies for a European digital regulatory regime to harm American companies. This is not routine corporate advocacy; it is foreign influence exploiting our open system while shaping external geopolitics against American interests.”

Deutsche Telekom and T-Mobile didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.