"Customers should be able to choose what they want to pay for"
In a DN debate on June 14, representatives of a number of media companies question the actions of telecom operators in the Swedish market. Although they give a good description of the possibilities of the open network, they paint a partly misleading picture of the telecom industry.
The open network is cherished by many. Not least by the IT and telecom industry. As the debaters point out, the open network drives growth and innovation, creates the conditions for a more participatory democracy and gives us all the power to disseminate and access information. These are undoubtedly societal values that all actors in the telecom market - operators as well as content providers and rights holders - should safeguard.
However, the claim that the openness of the Internet is "threatened by the telecom operators" is a poor description of the actual situation in the telecom market. The debaters claim that Swedish operators, on a growing scale and with the aim of distorting competition, are completely blocking certain services. But there are always, and should always be, alternatives for the services one wants to use and pay for. A diverse range of services - properly designed - need not be a limitation to openness. Rather, it offers freedom of choice. This is also the view of Neelie Kroes, the European Commissioner for Telecoms.
The functioning and delivery of the open network relies on a value chain of different actors. From those who bury cables in the ground, to those who deliver traffic, to content providers, to consumers and users. Their interrelationships are greatly affected by the rapid development of IT in society. A strong influencing factor is the very large increase in traffic. This is leading, among other things, to the testing of different pricing models for communications.
Transparency and clarity for customers in contracts with operators is encouraged by IT&Telecom companies. Since last summer this has been a legal requirement. All the major operators are also currently taking part in a project with the PTS and the telecom advisers aimed at improving information to customers.
Internet traffic prioritization has been and is the subject of a number of investigations both in Sweden and in the EU. Among other things, the EU body BEREC is expected to come up with guidelines. This is encouraged by the IT and telecom industry.
IT&Telecom companies also welcome a broader discussion on the open network. To make progress in such a discussion, it is necessary to take into account the complexity of net neutrality, the high pace of change in the network, the convergence between different industries and the need for cost recovery and incentive structures for the actors that create the conditions for electronic communication.
Otherwise, there is a risk that the discussion will lead to proposals that undermine rather than enhance the growth and democracy-enhancing properties of the open network.
Anne-Marie Fransson, Federal Director, IT&Telecom Industries
Pär Nygårds, Industry Policy Expert, IT&Telecom Industries