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:

  1. Guidelines for Quality of Service in the scope of Net Neutrality - Draft for public consultation
  2. An assessment of IP-interconnection in the context of Net Neutrality - Draft report for public consultation
  3. Differentiation practices and related competition issues in the scope of Net Neutrality - Draft report for public consultation

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:

Reg. № Name of Contributor
BoR PC07 (12) 01 ALTIBOX AS
BoR PC07 (12) 02 British Telecom – BT
BoR PC07 (12) 03 Vodafone Group (QoS)
BoR PC07 (12) 04 Nicolas Cartier
BoR PC07 (12) 05 Cable & Wireless Worldwide – CWW
BoR PC07 (12) 06 BEUC (QoS)
BoR PC07 (12) 07 APRITEL
BoR PC07 (12) 08 La Quadrature du Net
BoR PC07 (12) 09 3 Group (Hutchison Europe)
BoR PC07 (12) 10 Stellungnahme für die Direktorenkonferenz der Landesmedienanstalten(DLM)
BoR PC07 (12) 11 Vodafone Group (IP -IC)
BoR PC07 (12) 12 Dr François  PELLEGRINI
BoR PC07 (12) 13 VON Europe (competition)
BoR PC07 (12) 14 VON Europe (IP-IC)
BoR PC07 (12) 15 Tony Sandström
BoR PC07 (12) 16 Matei-Eugen VASILE
BoR PC07 (12) 17 Thomas Moreau
BoR PC07 (12) 18 Eric Streit
BoR PC07 (12) 19 Mathieu Adoutte
BoR PC07 (12) 20 ds500ss SCS
BoR PC07 (12) 21 AT&T (IP-IC)
BoR PC07 (12) 22 TELEFÓNICA SA
BoR PC07 (12) 23 Arnaud BOUTRY 
BoR PC07 (12) 24 ENPA - European Newspaper Publishers’ Association
BoR PC07 (12) 25 Paul Flynn
BoR PC07 (12) 26 VON Europe (QoS)
BoR PC07 (12) 27 Kabel Norge
BoR PC07 (12) 28 Mike Blanche
BoR PC07 (12) 29 Internet Society  - ISOC (QoS)
BoR PC07 (12) 30 ETNO
BoR PC07 (12) 31 EDRi - European Digital Rights
BoR PC07 (12) 32 Sandvine Incorporated (Competition, QoS)
BoR PC07 (12) 33 FTTH Council Europe (QoS)
BoR PC07 (12) 34 FTTH Council Europe (Competition, IP-IC)
BoR PC07 (12) 35 Cable Europe (Competition, QoS)
BoR PC07 (12) 36 David Lefebvre
BoR PC07 (12) 37 Olivier Emery
BoR PC07 (12) 38 COGENT Communications (IP-IC)
BoR PC07 (12) 39 Ubuntu-fr.org
BoR PC07 (12) 40 Bonnier & TV4 Group
BoR PC07 (12) 41 Fastweb (IP-IC)
BoR PC07 (12) 42 Wind Telecomunicazioni S.p.A (confidential)+non-confidential on 10/08/2012
BoR PC07 (12) 43 Orange France Telecom
BoR PC07 (12) 44 British Telecom - BT (IP-IC)
BoR PC07 (12) 45 QSC AG (QoS)
BoR PC07 (12) 46 Tele2 AB
BoR PC07 (12) 47 At&T, Cable &Wireless Worldwilde, Orange Business Services, Verizon services, BT Global Services, Level3 (QoS)
BoR PC07 (12) 48 ECTA (QoS)
BoR PC07 (12) 49 Telekom Austria Group - TAG
BoR PC07 (12) 50 Microsoft
BoR PC07 (12) 51 European Broadcasting Union - EBU
BoR PC07 (12) 52 European Magazine Media Association - EMMA (Competition, QoS)
BoR PC07 (12) 53 SFR
BoR PC07 (12) 54 At&T, Cable &Wireless Worldwide, Verizon services (IP-IC)
BoR PC07 (12) 55 FP7 ETICS Researchers (amended version came 02/08)
BoR PC07 (12) 56 Deutsche Telekom AG - DT AG
BoR PC07 (12) 57 GSMA
BoR PC07 (12) 58 PosteMobile (3 contributions)
BoR PC07 (12) 59 Telecom Italia (Competition, QoS)
BoR PC07 (12) 60 Simon Schlauri (Competition)
BoR PC07 (12) 61 Stefan Marsiske
BoR PC07 (12) 62 Telecom Italia (IP-IC)
BoR PC07 (12) 63 Internet Society France - ISOC (QoS)
BoR PC07 (12) 64 Barbara van Schewick
BoR PC07 (12) 65 Cécile Jonckheere
BoR PC07 (12) 66 Etienne Guillaume
BoR PC07 (12) 67 Liberty Global B.V. (QoS, IP-IC)
BoR PC07 (12) 68 Verband Privater Rundfunk und Telemedien e.V. (VPRT)
BoR PC07 (12) 69 Virgin Media
BoR PC07 (12) 70 Sarah (Omnius Omnivore)
BoR PC07 (12) 71 International Telecommunications Users Group - INTUG
BoR PC07 (12) 72 BEUC (IP-IC, Comp)

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