Video: ”Specialised services” undermines net neutrality and places the telcos as gatekeepers

In the IMCO committee (Internal Market and Consumer Affairs) this week we had a seminar and an exchange of views on the big legislative package Connected Continent.

One of the hottest issues in this proposed regulation is net neutrality. And its opposite, the ”specialised services” that the Commission proposes that the telecom providers should be allowed to operate in parallel with the internet.

Specialised services would allow the telecom providers to control who is allowed to do business on the internet or not, and extract arbitrary charges from the services it decides to allow an favour. It is easy to see why the telcos would find this a very comfortable position, but it would be devastating for the innovation and business climate in Europe.

See my speech on Net Neutrality in the IMCO committee (6 min)