United Nations #CEPAL my introduction to #NetNeutrality law & EC policy

Of CDNs, Netflix, Net Neutrality, and Cable Fu#$@!ery.

Wetmachine » Tales of the Sausage Factory » Of CDNs, Netflix, Net Neutrality, and Cable Fu#$@!ery.: "“Hey, this looks like an interconnection fight! We should really assess what the heck is going on here and figure out the implications, keeping in mind that the core universal values of our communications system that the FCC voted on 5-0 back in January as universal values, aka what Chairman Wheeler calls the “Network Compact,” tells us to evaluate this through the lens of protecting consumers and encouraging competition." 'via Blog this'

Cold water on Europe’s digital dream: German mobile (E-Plus/Telefonica) merger waved through

Cold water on Europe’s digital dream | Mario Mariniello at Bruegel.org: "From the perspective of operators, clearly a merger is more profitable. That should not concern the Commission; the Commission should just be concerned with finding the best way to incentivize investment while protecting users from price increases. With the Telefonica/E-Plus decision, the Commission is instead effectively encouraging all network operators in Europe to merge instead of entering into network sharing agreements, meaning less competition with no increased investment incentive." 'via Blog this'

European Google Decision: Nothing To Do With a Right to Be Forgotten

How the European Google Decision May Have Nothing To Do With a Right to Be Forgotten: "A “right to be forgotten”, if ever acknowledged to humanity even in digital context—there certainly is none in the offline world context—would essentially include a “right to delete” or “to have deleted.” As already explained, this is not what the CJEU decision under consideration does. It did not ask for deletion of the original information." 'via Blog this'

Debating Disruption: Mind the Non-linear

Continuations : Debating Disruption: Mind the Non-linear: "The Lindy Effect is real. Disruption is rare. But it does exist and it is caused by non-linear changes in technology. We happen to be in a period of such non-linear change because we have figured out how to use computers for lots and lots of things, including machine learning and robotics, DNA analysis and synthesis, scanning and additive manufacturing of objects. As a result the exponential improvements in computers powered by Moore’s and Metcalfe’s ”laws” are invading many other industries. " 'via Blog this'

The FCC and Net Neutrality: A Way Forward - EFF

The FCC and Net Neutrality: A Way Forward | Electronic Frontier Foundation: "That 2002 decision, as interpreted by the D.C. Circuit last January, now actually prevents the FCC from truly promoting a neutral Internet. That is because the court said that rules that actually do what many of us want—such as forbidding discrimination against certain applications—require the FCC to treat access providers like “common carriers, ” treatment that can only be applied to telecommunications services.

Having chosen to define broadband as an “information service,” the FCC can impose regulations that “promote competition” (good) but it cannot stop providers from giving their friends special access to Internet users (bad). The result: a set of proposed rules that implicitly endorses paid prioritization and special deals that may not be available to new businesses at any price. 


Some have said that reclassification would give the FCC too much power to regulate the Internet.  That very concern is why forbearance is so important. " 'via Blog this'

UK Minister - self-regulation is enough. House of Commons 16 June

House of Commons Hansard Debates for 16 Jun 2014 (pt 0003): "The UK is fully committed to an open internet and it believes that a self-regulatory approach can and does deliver this for consumers, as long as ISPs are transparent about traffic management practices that they employ, and consumers are aware of those at the point of sale.

 I agree with the hon. Gentleman that traffic management should not develop into anti-competitive behaviour, as he has highlighted. We will be working with the European Parliament, the Commission and other member states to deliver a package that ensures an open, safe and secure internet. However, we do not support proposals that mean we cannot enforce our laws, including blocking child abuse images, and we are committed to protecting our children online. That includes ensuring that child abuse images can be and are blocked, as well as giving parents the choice to implement domestic filters for age appropriate content.

 We continue to believe that regulation as proposed by the European Commission is unhelpful as it is too prescriptive and inflexible. Indeed, regulation may be unable to keep up with the pace of change of technology and may even have unintended consequences, such as higher consumer bills. I will ensure that the responsible Minister is made aware of the strong feeling across the House in this debate and the fact that Members on both sides spoke in support of this." 'via Blog this'