How We Won The Battle On Net Neutrality In
Europe…and what we need to do to win the war
1
Joe McNamee Thomas Lohninger
Neelie Kroes
Jan 2010: “There is still some confusion about net neutrality. […] The core issue is whether internet access providers or network operators should be able to exercise control or limit users’ access to any content. For me, when that is done for commercially motivated reasons, that is absolutely a no-go.”
3
Neelie Kroes
• six consultations
• The Netherlands & Slovenia adopt net neutrality legislation
• BEREC study about violations 50% of mobile and 20% of fixed line customers affected
4
European Regulator
• 2012 “Summary of BEREC positions on net neutrality”
• Nov 2012 “BEREC Guidelines for quality of service in the scope of net neutrality”
6
Telecom Single Market
REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCILlaying down measures concerning the European single market for electronic communications and to achieve a Connected Continent
7
legislative package• radio spectrum
• single EU authorisation
• regulatory jurisdiction
• market consolidation
• ending roaming charges
• killing net neutrality
9
not neutrality
• voluntary internet censorship
• internet fast lanes
• as Specialised Services
• as obligation for paid QoS peerings
• price discrimination & volume exclusion
10
strategy of the commission
1. Use the elections
2. Add a populist element
3. Use bizarre, complex language
4. Pretend you support net neutrality
11
12
plenary vote
• we got real net neutrality!
• text is still not perfect
• weak enforcement
• adopted from S&D, ALDE, Greens & GUE
• “child pornography”
13
facts
• ~ 30.000 faxes
• translated in 9 languages
• min. 50 media appearances in 7 languages (before the final vote)
• 266 git commits from 12 contributors
23
Output• Policy Analysis
• Analysis of every Opinion, Report and Amendment
• 1 pager about effects on SMEs & economy
• collection of contradictory statements from COM & ETNO
• joint letter of civil society, companies and consumer protection organisations
35
Allies
• EDRi member network
• BEUC
• StartUps for net neutrality, Netflix, VON, Open Forum Europe, Greenhost, Austrian StartUp Association
37
41