[P2P-F] Fwd: [opennetcoalition] EU Governments Oppose an Open Wireless Infrastructure

Tue Oct 11 13:30:41 CEST 2011

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: La Quadrature du Net <jz at laquadrature.net>
Date: Tue, Oct 11, 2011 at 4:06 PM
Subject: [opennetcoalition] EU Governments Oppose an Open Wireless
Infrastructure
To: opennetcoalition at laquadrature.net

La Quadrature du Net - For immediate release

Permanent link:
http://www.laquadrature.net/en/eu-governments-oppose-an-open-wireless-infrastructure

EU Governments Oppose an Open Wireless Infrastructure

*** Paris, October 11th, 2011 - As the European Union engages in important
discussions on the future of the radio spectrum policy - i.e the future of
open wireless communications -, it's becoming clear that national
governments are aligned on the position of dominant telecom operators. To
protect open wireless communications operated and controlled by citizens,
the EU Parliament must resist the pressure and defend its position. ***

Last Spring, in its vote on the Radio Spectum Policy Programme (RSPP), which
aims at harmonising wireless communications policies at the EU level) [1],
the Parliament affirmed its support to open spectrum policy [2].

For instance, it favored the free use by everyone of so-called “white
spaces” (bands of frequencies left unused by broadcasters) [3] and called on
the swift roll-out of small network devices and antennas [4] that can be
used by citizens and businesses to build shared mesh networks [5] and create
the next generation of WiFi-like networks. The Parliament stressed that all
these promising wireless technologies at the service of citizens can expand
mobile broadband coverage in rural areas, thus bridging the digital divide.
[6]

However, as of today, Member States are pushing hard to strike down the
Parliament's most innovative open spectrum amendments to the RSPP. A working
document [7] shows that national governments - who are currently negotiating
with the Parliament - want to get rid of the important references to these
groundbreaking technologies (see table below).

As the United States moves closer and closer from establishing a
comprehensive legal and technical framework for using white spaces [8], the
EU risks lagging behind because of our governments' conservatism under the
pressure of telecom operators lobbies.

"The open spectrum policy adopted by the European Parliament can play a key
role in fostering access to a decentralized and citizen-oriented Internet
architecture. By their attempt to block increased competition and innovation
in wireless communications, national governments are serving dominant
telecoms operators's attempts to control the flow of communications. We must
not tolerate that governments undermine EU competitiveness and prevent
underserved populations from participating in online communications. The
Parliament must resist the pressure and defend an open wireless Internet",
says Félix Tréguer, policy and legal analyst for La Quadrature du Net.

Article 4.2.2

//EU Parliament:// Member States shall foster, in cooperation with the
Commission, the collective use of spectrum as well as shared and unlicensed
use of spectrum. They shall also foster current and new technologies such as
geolocation databases and cognitive radio to develop for example in white
spaces following a proper impact assessment. That impact assessment shall be
issued within twelve months of the entry into force of this Decision .
//EU Council:// Member States shall foster, in cooperation with the
Commission and where appropriate, the collective use of spectrum as well as
shared use of spectrum.

Article 4.3.a

//EU Parliament:// Member States shall intensify R&D on new technologies
such as cognitive technologies as their development could represent an
added-value in the future in terms of efficiency of spectrum use.
//EU Council:// Erased

Article 6.4.a

//EU Parliament:// The Commission shall, in cooperation with Member States,
assess the feasibility of extending the allocations of unlicensed spectrum
for wireless access systems including radio local area networks established
by Decision 2005/513/EC1 to the entire 5GHz band.
//EU Council:// Erased

Article 6.6.a

//EU Parliament:// Member States, in cooperation with the Commission, shall
examine the possibility of spreading the availability and use of picocells
and femtocells. They shall take full account of the potential of those
cellular base stations and of shared and unlicensed use of spectrum to
provide the basis for wireless mesh networks, which can play a key role in
bridging the digital divide.
//EU Council:// Erased.

* References *

1. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/file.jsp?id=5872922

2.
http://www.laquadrature.net/en/eu-parliament-adopts-open-wireless-communications-policy

3. For recent experiments on the potential of these frequencies, see:
http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2011/09/27/cambridge-white-space-trial-runs-hd-iplayer/

4. Such as so-called picocells and femtocells.

5. https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Mesh_networking

6. See in particular article Article 6.6.a: Member States, in cooperation
with the Commission, shall examine the possibility of spreading the
availability and use of picocells and femtocells. They shall take full
account of the potential of those cellular base stations and of shared and
unlicensed use of spectrum to provide the basis for wireless mesh networks,
which can play a key role in bridging the digital divide.

7. Proposal of the Hungarian Presidency on behalf of the EU Council:
http://www.laquadrature.net/files/201106_European_Radio_Spectrum_Policy_Program.pdf

8. http://www.mobileburn.com/news.jsp?Id=16644

** About la Quadrature du Net **

La Quadrature du Net is an advocacy group that promotes the rights and
freedoms of citizens on the Internet. More specifically, it advocates for
the adaptation of French and European legislations to respect the founding
principles of the Internet, most notably the free circulation of knowledge.

In addition to its advocacy work, the group also aims to foster a better
understanding of legislative processes among citizens. Through specific and
pertinent information and tools, La Quadrature du Net hopes to encourage
citizens' participation in the public debate on rights and freedoms in the
digital age.

La Quadrature du Net is supported by French, European and international NGOs
including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Open Society Institute and
Privacy International.

List of supporting organisations:
https://www.laquadrature.net/en/they-support-la-quadrature-du-net

** Press contact and press room **

Jérémie Zimmermann, jz at laquadrature.net, +33 (0)615 940 675

http://www.laquadrature.net/en/press-room

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