Thursday, June 23, 2011

Nice try, KPN - Netherlands First European Country to Adopt Net Neutrality

  
This was quick. Only two months after KPN announced it will surcharge the use of certain data application competing with its voice, SMS and video services (here) it became illegal to do so.
 
Brian O'Brien reports to the New York Times: "The Netherlands on Wednesday became the first country in Europe, and only the second in the world, to enshrine the concept of network neutrality into national law by banning its mobile telephone operators from blocking or charging consumers extra for using Internet-based communications services like Skype or WhatsApp, a free text service.

The measure, which was adopted with a broad majority in the lower house of the Dutch Parliament, the Tweede Kamer, will prevent KPN, the Dutch telecommunications market leader, and the Dutch units of Vodafone and T-Mobile, from blocking or charging for Internet services. Its sponsors said that the measure would pass a pro-forma review in the Dutch Senate without hitches".


See "Dutch Lawmakers Adopt Net Neutrality Law" - here.

4 comments:

  1. Hi!

    Lets say that they (Dutch) will implement that law. What about service differentiation?

    For example lets make a tariff A where:
    1. customers get cheaper plans because they are only allowed to surf. Nothing is ban, however speed is throttled to 32 or 64kbps for other group of services (voip, p2p etc)

    2. customer pay more if they want "richer" internet - p2p, video etc - get max, regular speed for all other services

    For example lets make a tariff B where:
    1. Different traffic gets different QoS. For example mobile operator guarantee QoS for mobile operator voip (based on IMS), guarantee QoS for mobile operator video (IPTV)

    2. All other traffic has regular, best effort speed, inlcuding skype, p2p, youtube.


    Is this compliant or not with dutch law?

    If both tariff would be illegal then they just kill QoS. Just a reminder - in LTE there is only packet network, no CS. How would mobile operator guarantee QoS for his voip, especially in roaming, if QoS is ban (no differentiation?).

    This law is just one big idiot thing


    P.S. Nice blog
    Swordfish

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi,
    Did you just delete may comment? Why?

    BR,
    Swordfish

    ReplyDelete
  3. So it will it or not be possible to make such a offering in Netherlands?
    http://www.bankfotek.pl/image/1016303.jpeg

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wasn't me - automatic action from google. Thank you for the comment!

    ReplyDelete