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EU Telecoms Council conclusions on net neutrality

Date

14 Dec 2011

Sections

InfoSociety

ETNO welcomes Council’s recognition of importance of current rules to ensure an open Internet

Brussels – In line with the Council’s conclusions on net neutrality adopted today, ETNO believes that significant economic gains can be achieved through an appropriate policy framework for ICT and that provisions of the existing regulatory framework are best placed to enable an open Internet.

The Council recalls the key importance of the provisions of the new EU Regulatory Framework - such as those relating to transparency and quality of service - that, together with existing competition on broadband markets, ensure an open Internet for end users in Europe. ETNO insists on the need for a consistent transposition and implementation of these provisions throughout the EU in order to avoid a fragmentation of the Single Market and a lessening of consumer choice.

ETNO welcomes the recognition of the key role of the ICT sector as a driver for economic growth, innovation and job creation in the EU. ETNO also shares the Telecoms Council’s concerns about sustainability of current business models due to increasing Internet traffic. ETNO therefore calls on the EU and Member states to avoid any additional regulation which would limit operators’ capacity to develop responses to the challenges ahead”, says Luigi Gambardella ETNO Executive Board Chair.

ETNO supports the Council’s recognition of BEREC’s role in the net neutrality debate. ETNO continues to engage in a positive manner with BEREC and looks forward to contributing to its workplan of 2012, in particular on net neutrality issues such as quality of service and traffic management.

ETNO welcomes that the Council calls for a further analysis on the sharing of costs of traffic and financial flows between players of the Internet value chain.

ETNO members, the main investors in today and tomorrow’s broadband networks, are against all forms of anti-competitive traffic management practices. However, ETNO strongly believes that traffic management is an indispensable means to ensure an efficient use of the network and avoid network congestion in view of the rapidly increasing volumes of data traffic. Differentiated and transparent offers based on capacity and/or quality of service respond to consumer demand and increase consumer choice.  

For more information, please contact: Thierry Dieu, ETNO Acting Director/ Communications Manager Tel: (32-2) 219 32 42 Fax:  (32-2) 219 64 12 E-mail: dieu@etno.be

ETNO’s 40 member companies and 10 observers from Europe and beyond represent a significant part of total ICT activity in Europe. They account for an aggregate annual turnover of more than €600 billion and employ over 1.6 million people. ETNO companies are the main drivers of broadband and are committed to its continual growth in Europe.