Clarification on net neutrality

On July 6, IT&Telekomföretagen participated in a SVT debate on net neutrality. As most people know, the issue is complex and not easily communicated. Therefore, it may be appropriate to clarify how we see net neutrality.

First of all, the IT&Telecoms industry is a strong supporter of an open internet.

One of the most important benefits of the Internet is that it promotes democracy and freedom of information. The fact that everyone can freely, without restriction, access information and communicate with others creates great societal value.

From a market perspective, the internet is also a phenomenal growth engine and an important prerequisite for the competitiveness of digital service companies in particular.

Against this backdrop, the issue of intermediary liability for the actions of internet users and the data they send online has been important to defend. As IT&Telecom companies have also done on a number of issues, such as Ipred, the FRA law and traffic data retention. Intermediaries should not monitor their users and interfere with what they do online.

At the same time, as we know, there are exceptions to every rule. Some traffic management takes place on the network, for example for security reasons (such as preventing the spread of malware), or to meet agreed quality targets and robustness. This processing is, as far as I can tell, covered by the new EU net neutrality rules.

With regard to Telia's free surfing offer, which was raised in the SVT debate, I would like to point out that we neither support nor reject their offer. Given that they are a market player operating on commercial terms, I can understand that they want to differentiate themselves. And that they have an interest in testing the new rules. It is reasonable to assume that there are quite a few potential customers who are interested in not having their surfing allowance charged when they use popular social media.

At the same time, of course, it is important that other players are not squeezed out of the market by new offerings of the kind launched by Telia. Whether they are powerful media houses or startups. However, the issue is not binary; there are gray areas. Otherwise, it is unlikely that the new EU regulation would have allowed some traffic management.

It is therefore welcome that PTS is conducting an investigation to clarify whether the offer is within the current regulatory framework.

For those who have views on how the new rules should be interpreted by national regulators, BEREC is holding an open consultation until July 18 where all interested parties can submit comments.