Coalition urges EU to champion Open Internet
January 20, 2015
By Colin Mann
The EBU has signed an open letter alongside a broad coalition of digital stakeholders, urging the EU Council of Ministers to support strong and clear net neutrality rules in the Single Telecoms Market Proposal for a Regulation.
Ahead of an informal dinner of EU Telecom Minister on the proposed Telecoms Single Market Regulation on January 21st, the net neutrality coalition requests an open, transparent and secure Internet, supported by effective EU-wide rules on net neutrality, to act as a key driver for innovation and economic efficiency and to foster informed citizenship and plurality of opinions.
EBU Head of European Affairs Nicola Frank said: “The Council can establish a legacy for Europe and firmly set the open Internet as a guarantee for freedom of expression and information in the digital society. Clear net neutrality will protect the freedom to impart and receive information without interference, strengthen consumer’s trust and confidence in the digital economy and offer long term incentives for investment and innovation.”
The coalition underlines the need for clear wording aiming to prevent the prioritisation or discrimination of Internet traffic based on the content, services, applications, or devices that are being used. Strong non-discrimination clauses would not infringe Internet service providers’ capacity to offer customers ‘specialised services’ or Internet access packages with different speeds and volumes.
Following a similar open letter addressing EU Member State ambassadors during the Italian Presidency of the EU in October 2014, new stakeholders have joined the signatories to the letter in support of net neutrality.
List of signatories
Access
Alternative Informatics Association (AIA)
Association of European Radios (AER)
Asociatia pentru Tehnologie si Internet (ApTI)
BEUC – The European Consumer Organisation
Bits of Freedom
Centre for Democracy and Technology (CDT)
Chaos Computer Club (CCC)
Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA)
Digital Courage
Digitale Gesellschaft
Digital Rights Ireland
European Broadcasting Union (EBU)
European Digital Rights (EDRi)
Fastweb
Förderverein Informationstechnik und Gesellschaft (FITUG)
Initiative für Netzfreiheit
IT-Pol Denmark
La Quadrature du Net
Panoptykon
Quintessenz
Vrijschrift
Voice on the Net (VON) Coalition Europe
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