NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] [IP] Response to newsletter 13-6-09 to UK and Europe Throttling and the Future management of ICANN]
----- Forwarded message from David Farber <dave@farber.net> ----- Date: Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:59:29 -0400 From: David Farber <dave@farber.net> Subject: [IP] Response to newsletter 13-6-09 to UK and Europe Throttling and the Future management of ICANN Reply-To: dave@farber.net To: ip <ip@v2.listbox.com> Begin forwarded message: From: Mike Kiely <mkiely@bbbritain.co.uk> Date: June 15, 2009 9:59:11 AM EDT To: <nnsquad@nnsquad.org> Subject: [ NNSquad ] Response to newsletter 13-6-09 to UK and Europe Throttling and the Future management of ICANN I wanted to comment on David Farbers concerns regarding net discrimination in the UK and Europe. Given that the European Commission is seeking some say over ICANN from October 1st, then it would be in all our interests to get the EU to commit formally to a set of internet principles, which includes Neutrality, before those folk are allowed anywhere near the Internet. The Norwegian Net Neutrality principles look a good start. The issues on UK non-neutrality have been perculating for some time. The 'free' and 'unlimited' offers are being replaced with 10GB, 20GB and 50GB packages with associated FUPs (fair usage policies). The latter are found in the deep end of the online help system. It is now the 'unlimited' packages which have the most detailed FUPs. The FUPs provide the ISPs discretion, but the regulator keeps an eye on discriminatory behaviour. The limited amount of backhaul per user is not explained, but exists in the planning rules - circa 20Kbps-30Kbps per user. To be clear the regulator will permit discriminatory behaviour so long as it is not unfair, i.e. punish heavy users equally. It is this last point we will be argueing over for some time as the battle over affordability and who does the traffic management and on what basis continues. There is a House of Commons hearing on 17th-18th July on the matter. In Europe, UK and European users successfully got our MEPs to reject the 'three strikes' amendments and forced, we think, the Telecoms package into a third reading. I say, we think because law making in the European Union bodies is less accountable and less tansparent than we would like. A good deal of law is forced through by negotiations between Parliament, which is elected and the European Council and European Comission which are not elected but appointed. We are still awaiting the precise outcome but the Commission and the Council are trying push the legislation through quickly and avoid further delay and scrutiny. As it stands the net discrimination clauses (aka AT&T / and the wiki amendments) remain, following amendments pushed by UK conservative MEPs and wording supplied by UK civil servants equating the Internet with Cable TV usage. The latter was in the context of defining markets through competitive forces, such that affordable broadband services could equate with ISPs deciding what you could and could not see of the web. A further blog is available here -http://broadbandbritain.spaces.live.com/blog/ The blog requests that the Telecom Package remains technology neutral permitting the creation of functionally equivalent legacy services over our new connectivity options. While we wait for an outcome from the EU institutions, one of the ways European users could bring pressure is the European Comissions desire to have a say in the governance of ICANN. As a UK and European user I would feel very uneasy about the European Comission having a say on ICANN until there was an adequate recognition by the Comission of the internet and internet technologies as capable of providing functional equivalents to legacy telecom services. Regards Mike Kiely http://www.bbbritain.co.uk Be one of the first to try Windows Live Mail. ------------------------------------------- Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/ Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com ----- End forwarded message -----