There is a near consensus on the importance of preserving the openness of the internet. Also, the consultation did not reveal a widespread call for further EU legislation. These are some of the conclusions from the European Commission on the 318 responses to the EC’s  consultation on net neutrality. 

Eurocommissioner Kroes seemed satisfied with the amount of response and broad spectrum of views from stakeholders. Among the respondents are BEREC, cable companies, ISPs, countries, consumer and civil rights organizations and individuals.

One of the key findings of the consultation is that many find that the Telecom Reform package of 2009 provides the basic tools for addressing network neutrality issues. Before new regulations would be considered, the effectiveness and operation of the new telecoms package should first be studied in practice.

Consensus appears to exist on the importance of traffic management to maintain the integrity and security of the network. However some fear that this might be (mis)used to prioritize certain services over others and foresee privacy risks in application of DPI.

BEREC, the European telecoms watchdog, warns for problems concerning discrimination leading to anti-competitive effects. A lack of transparency on the subject would eventually lead to uncertainty among consumers. The respondents show broad support for industry-wide standards on transparency. This should enable consumers to make informed choices.

The Dutch Amendment Bill implementing the European Civil Rights Directive contains a transparency requirement for the telecom sector. In America, civil rights and consumer organizations call on the Federal Communications Commission to develop transparency obligations.

See here for an overview of the submissions on the net neutrality consultation (including that of Bart Schermer).

See here for the EC’s summary of the responses.

Source: EC