End user access to and choice in services – WS 01 2009

14 September 2009 | 14:15-15:45
Programme overview 2009

Keywords and questions

Role of Internet service providers and governments; rights and freedoms of users as citizens and as consumers; what competition to provide content and services? Towards a European users rights charter? network neutrality vs traffic prioritization

Session focus

Workshop focus: to explore the role of ISPs and governments with regard to Internet users’ access to and choice of services; rights and freedoms of users as citizens and as consumers; what competition principles to underpin access to and use of content and services? The proposal to develop a (European) Internet users’ rights charter.

Messages

“Network neutrality” was the central theme of discussions and was understood by many as users’ access to and use and distribute of (legal) content, services and applications of their choice without discrimination. In this connection, the discussions underlined the following:

• It is crucial to provide fair and equal access to the Internet and the content that runs over it.
• As convergence translates into the rapid evolution of business models, it is important to ensure that quality content continues to be generated and distributed over the Internet, by both public and commercial broadcasters, helping also to allay piracy concerns.
• Content is worthless to users if they are prevented from accessing it, with the right to receive and impart information and ideas underlined.
• The Norwegian Guidelines on Network Neutrality – Guidelines for Internet Neutrality were considered as a valuable source of reference.
• The importance of the EU legal framework for regulating telecoms services lays down (at the time of EuroDIG) which lays down basic principles, including transparency of access, non-discrimination and combating abuses of competition, and rules.
• Regulation/legislation should be introduced with caution. There was a preference for a multi-stakeholder approach in developing and agreeing on guidelines.

In looking ahead, the following proposals for follow-up were made:

• To establish a European Forum on Network Management in order to bring together ISPs, regulators, users and applications providers and other stakeholders in order to understand trends, implications for the market, network investment and innovation and technology as well as the end-user concerns, to exchange best practices and to commit to guidelines – the Council of Europe, the European Broadcasting Union and the European Commission were considered to be appropriate actors which could facilitate this.

For the Council of Europe to consider the relationship between an Internet which is open (i.e. to end-users’ access to Internet content, services and applications) and respects fundamental human rights (i.e. freedom of expression, communication and information) and to prepare guidance where practicable and appropriate to do so.