The BEREC expert working group on Net Neutrality (NN EWG) met on 15-16 December 2015 in Brussels. This was a special meeting to which associations representing stakeholders were invited, to explain their points of view about the European Commission (EC) regulation on net neutrality and also to respond to specific questions prepared by the working group.
Three sessions where held, according to the type of stakeholder:
- user associations and civil society (Access Now, a non-profit advocacy group dedicated to an open and free internet; the Bureau Européen des Unions de Consommateurs – BEUC; European Digital Rights – EDRi; and Internet Society – ISOC);
- associations of content and application providers (Association of Commercial Television in Europe – ACTE; Computer and Communications Industry Association – CCIA; Communications and Connectivity Coalition – C2; European Broadcast Union – EBU; and Allied for Startups);
- associations of internet access service providers (ISPs) and equipment manufacturers (Cable Europe; European Competitive Telecommunications Association – ECTA; European Telecommunications Network Operators Association (ETNO); Groupe Speciale Mobile Association – GSMA Europe; and Digital Europe).
The participants considered the following topics: traffic management in internet access; specialised services versus internet access service; internet access quality of service and its implications; business practices/zero rating; and other aspects.
This meeting served as a previous point important for preparing a guide associated to regulation of the single market, which should be ready in August of this year.
