Add to favorites Proposals form part of inter continent directive, which would also slash roaming costs, while regulating mobile spectrum.
The European telecoms groups have joined hands for a united front to oppose proposals on net neutrality, aimed at assuring open access to the internet, which is to be voted by the European parliament during the week.
The proposals are part of inter continent directive, which would also slash roaming costs, while regulating mobile spectrum.
European Commission vice-president Neelie Kroes said in a letter to MEPs: "If adopted, this will lead to ending roaming charges by end 2015 on voice, text and data, ensure more coherent rules on spectrum allocation, set out the principles of net neutrality in the open internet (no blocking and no throttling), strengthen consumer protection measures and develop innovative communications/telecoms tools for business users."
Four organisations that represent the telecoms and cable industry have released a report stressing flaws in the plans, while arguing that misunderstanding about the industry, alongside a hurried legislative process and a lack of technical analysis, would jeopardise developing legislation which is anti-innovation and anti-consumer choice, reported FT.
"Firstly, the Commission proposes clear and strong protection of full access to the open Internet, a ban on blocking of traffic and ban on discrimination against different services or applications," Kroes added.
"It is clear that all contributors to the discussion are in favour of this strong assertion of the right to access a free and open internet."
The report added that some have asked to represent specialised services as a serious threat to the open Internet, which is erroneous.
"Specialised services would only be allowed if they do not impair the Internet," Kroes said.
"They must be delivered on distinct and additional network capacity – they can’t eat into existing capacity and existing contractually-agreed speeds that you pay for.
"National regulators will be in charge of upholding net neutrality and policing specialised services – so it cannot be claimed that they will allow Net Neutrality rules to be bypassed."
Defending net neutrality proposal, Kroes stressed that it was vital to legalise ‘specialised services’, which telecom firms would like to be able to charge content providers for rapid service delivery.
"Specialised services already exist and are unregulated," Kroes added.
"There is a strong case for specialised services – given their importance in driving innovation and investment in the digital economy, and in providing tailored services that consumers and start-ups expressly ask for.
"So we must carefully regulate, but not hinder or effectively ban, these specialised services."
