Guidance on net neutrality is one of 10 steps the...
Guidance on net neutrality is one of 10 steps the European Commission plans to take this year to ensure that broadband is at the core of the digital agenda, said Digital Agenda Commissioner Neelie Kroes at a Center on Regulation…
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in Europe seminar in Brussels Wednesday. New services rely on that bedrock, which is why “2013 will be the year of broadband,” she said. “I'm in a fighting mood, and Europe can’t wait.” The more consistent the rules, the fewer the obstacles to investment, and the more consistent the environment, the wider ambitions can spread, she said. Completing the telecom single market could give Europe an economic boost of 110 billion euros ($149 billion) a year, she said. Kroes will offer a package of 10 steps to make the market more integrated, coherent and efficient, she said. One is guidance on net neutrality. Kroes said she fully supports an Internet that’s open, dynamic and innovative, but “there are untransparent practices and restrictions” such as blocking or throttling VoIP on smartphones. There’s no net neutrality now but “we do need to use the rights tools for the right job,” she said. Kroes said she’s wary of any attempt to regulate the way the Internet functions, so her threshold for intervention is high. National regulators already have the power to deal with net neutrality problems but the European Commission will give them strong guidelines, she said. More transparency and easier switching of providers can boost consumer choice and power, but “I am also aware of the limits of switching, and my thinking has adapted accordingly: in my view, for choice to be real, every ISP should offer an accessible Internet service without application restrictions.” Other steps include: (1) A final recommendation on rules to stimulate investment in fixed broadband, due in July. (2) A wireless action plan for an integrated European approach to making spectrum available, assigning it and helping network rollout without excessive duplication. (3) Cutting project civil engineering costs. (4) Publishing a study on actual Internet download speeds, to help users and policymakers gauge the scale of the issue. (5) A recommendation on universal service in the digital society. The EC will also open its “urgent dialogue” Monday with stakeholders on market-based solutions to digital copyright issues, and is planning to release a discussion paper in March on connected TV, Kroes said.