Reflections on EPF18 in Bucharest

By Kate Gerry, Director of Interconnection, NetActuate

I just returned from the European Peering Forum (EPF18) in Bucharest, and as always, it was an excellent opportunity to learn, debate, and connect with peers from across the global interconnection community.

Key Sessions

The Fair Share & Network Fee Debate

Henning Lesch’s talk tackled one of the most contentious issues in global connectivity: whether large content and application providers (CAPs) like Netflix or YouTube should pay telcos for the high traffic volumes they generate.

• For fees: Telcos argue CAPs “free-ride” on their infrastructure, and extra contributions are needed to fund 5G and fiber rollouts.
• Against fees: Critics warn this undermines net neutrality, raises consumer costs, distorts the efficient peering model, and ignores the heavy investments CAPs already make in caching and delivery.
• Where it stands: The EU abandoned the idea in 2025, concluding it was not viable, while the U.S., South Korea, and India continue to consider the idea.

IP Interconnection Regulatory Update

Mike Blanche delivered an insightful update on the European Commission’s Digital Networks Act (DNA) proposals. Three ideas stood out as particularly risky to the open Internet:

1. “Level playing field” regulation – Extending telecom regulation to cloud and Internet services, burdening innovation and empowering telco consolidation.
2. Dispute resolution for interconnection – Imposing regulation on an interconnection market that already works with remarkable efficiency (99.998% of peering occurs without contracts).
3. “Innovative services” – Allowing fast lanes and service prioritization, risking a “pay to play” model that entrenches incumbents.
4. ‍His Conclusion: Europe’s interconnection ecosystem is already a global success story, with Frankfurt, London, and Amsterdam ranking as top hubs. Rather than empowering incumbents with unnecessary regulation, the focus should be on supporting SMEs and building digital skills in the workforce. 

The Scourge of Excessive AS-Sets

Steve Meuse shone a light on routing hygiene with a deep dive into AS-SETs. There are thousands of AS-SETs in the Internet Routing Registry that expand into very large numbers of ASNs and prefixes.

• Risks: Huge allow-lists strain router performance and make filters so broad that they lose their purpose.
• Solutions: Limit recursion, adopt hierarchical naming, and complement IRR filters with RPKI/ASPA validation.

It was a clear reminder that precision in routing policies remains critical for resiliency and trust.

Social Highlights

The Monday night social at ARIA TNB was held on a rooftop with stunning views of Bucharest and the sunset. It was the perfect setting to mingle and reconnect with fellow attendees in a relaxed environment.

On Tuesday night, KONG hosted us with a completely different atmosphere: indoor dining, loud music, and live entertainment. I was lucky with my table and had the chance to meet several people I had been hoping to connect with, making the evening both lively and productive.

The Real Value: 1:1 Meetings

As valuable as the sessions were, the heart of EPF, and every Peering Forum–style event, is the five hours of 1:1 meetings held every afternoon. There is simply no substitute for face-to-face time. Zoom and online meetings are useful, but they cannot replicate the depth of conversation, trust-building, and problem-solving that happens across the table. These daily blocks of back-to-back meetings are where new partnerships are formed, existing ones are strengthened, and ideas from the stage are turned into actionable steps.

I stayed on after the event through Friday for meetings with local partners in Bucharest. These one-on-one discussions always prove to be some of the most valuable parts of EPF, turning ideas from the stage into tangible next steps.

Event Takeaways

• The “fair share” debate is alive globally, even as Europe steps back from implementing it.
• The Digital Networks Act could reshape interconnection in ways that risk undermining Europe’s strengths. Vigilance from the community is essential.
• Routing hygiene remains foundational, and excessive AS-SETs are an emerging risk that demand cleaner practices.
• 1:1 meetings are the true core of EPF, highlighting the irreplaceable value of in-person connection.
• The socials round out the experience, providing both balance and opportunity for deeper relationships.

Looking Ahead

EPF continues to deliver a strong balance of policy insight, operational detail, and community connection. I am already looking forward to the next one and seeing how these debates and practices evolve.

If you didn’t have a chance to meetup with me at the event and would like to, please connect over LinkedIn.