In August 2025, Italy's telecom regulator AGCOM reclassified Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) as electronic communications networks—subjecting them to the same registration, fees, and transparency rules as telecom operators. Netflix, AWS, and Cloudflare immediately appealed, warning the move could degrade service quality, raise costs, and slow edge infrastructure deployment.

Dario Betti, CEO of the Mobile Ecosystem Forum, unpacks the clash: AGCOM wants accountability after high-profile streaming outages; the platforms argue CDNs are private distribution systems, not public telcos, and that regulatory overreach will push infrastructure out of Italy. For mobile operators, the stakes are direct—CDNs keep video traffic efficient and enable low-latency 5G edge services. Get the rules wrong, and networks face higher costs and worse performance.

A proportionate solution is possible: light-touch authorization that delivers transparency and security coordination without backdoor interconnection tariffs. Italy's experiment may become Europe's template as the Digital Networks Act takes shape.

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Key topics: CDN regulation, AGCOM, Netflix, AWS, Cloudflare, mobile networks, 5G edge computing, net neutrality, interconnection, Digital Networks Act, telecom policy.