Public consultation 07/12 in relation to net neutrality

Run from 29 May to 31 July 2012

In nowadays convergent world the topic of network neutrality is one of the key elements, particularly with the shift in business models and the constantly evolving role of new content and application providers in the market. Further complexity is brought into this debate through considerations on long-term innovation and fundamental freedom and their link with unrestricted access to the internet. Leveraging on the fundamental role of competition, the revised regulatory framework for electronic communications of the EU puts forward the tools to make this competition effective, addressing market failures and empowering the customer (representing the demand side of this two sided market).

Therefore net neutrality was included in the 2012 BEREC work programme as one of the main topic for work thought-out 2012. The work in 2012 to be carried out by BEREC is building upon the work already executed by BEREC in this field. In this respect on 29 May 2012 BEREC published the results of an investigation into traffic management and other practices resulting in restrictions to the open Internet in Europe. The investigation was carried out jointly with the European Commission. The findings represent a “snapshot” of the European market based on over 400 responses to a questionnaire addressed to European operators in fixed and mobile markets.

In addition to that BEREC published for public consultation the following draft documents:

In order to explain how the various pieces of the work executed fit together, BEREC has produced an explanatory paper, which explains the links between all these documents.

The public consultation on the three draft documents mentioned above was closed on 31 July 2012. During the consultation period BEREC received 72 responses by the following contributors:

The publication of the summary of the results from the consultation and of the individual contributions on the BEREC web site is forthcoming.