Sound of sabres rattling...

The boss of Deutsche Telekom is the latest to claim that companies like Google, which take advantage of high-speed networks, should help pay for them.

DT CEO Kai-Uwe Ricke said: "Customers should not be the only ones to pay for this new world. Web companies that use this infrastructure for their business should also make a contribution."

Speaking to German news weekly WirtschaftsWoche, Ricke said: "If customers aren't willing to pay and Google and [others] aren't willing to pay, there won't be any high-speed data highways," IDG reports.

He said companies like Google have been enjoying a free lunch. Ricke is not a lone voice - US telcos AT&T and Verizon have made similar noises.

Full story: The Register