[P2P-F] Fwd: [opennetcoalition] Net Neutrality: High quality connectivity and net neutrality go hand in hand

[Michel Bauwens]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: La Quadrature du Net <contact at laquadrature.net>
Date: Mon, Aug 8, 2016 at 5:15 PM
Subject: [opennetcoalition] Net Neutrality: High quality connectivity and
net neutrality go hand in hand
To: opennetcoalition at laquadrature.net



Press Release

*Tags : *NET NEUTRALITY, BEREC, GUNTHER OETTINGER, ANDRUS ANSIP

La Quadrature du Net — For immediate release

Permanent link: https://www.laquadrature.net/en/NetNeutrality-5G-letter
Net Neutrality: High quality connectivity and net neutrality go hand in hand

Paris, 8 August 2016 —

*Today, a coalition of more than 30 NGOs and civil liberties organisations
from around the world sent an open letter to lawmakers in charge of
telecoms regulation encouraging them to support the development and
implementation of robust net neutrality rules alongside the deployment of
high quality broadband and next-generation networks. The letter is a
response to the recently published “5G Manifesto” in which telecoms
operators threaten to withhold 5G investment unless regulators water down
European Union rules on net neutrality and other rules, including
provisions on network access and privacy. This attack comes at a time when
the Body of European Regulators of Electronic Communications (BEREC) is
currently developing guidelines for the implementation of the adopted net
neutrality rules.*

Dear Vice-President of the European Commission,
Dear Commissioner,
Dear ICT Ministers,

We encourage you to support the development and implementation of robust
net neutrality rules alongside the deployment of high quality broadband and
next-generation networks around the world.

The telecom industry has often warned of reluctance to invest in its own
networks, when lobbying against proposed regulations that promote
competition and protect internet users. In reality, telecommunications
companies always realised the economic benefit of investing in their own
networks and such negative assumptions are quickly disproven. Recently, a
group of 17 telecommunications companies – with the support of equipment
manufacturers that rely on them as a market for their products – published
a “5G Manifesto” in which they threaten to withhold 5G investment unless
regulators water down European Union rules on net neutrality and other
rules, including provisions on network access and privacy.

These threats are unsubstantiated and not credible. It is clear that
telecommunications companies will invest based on demand and competition,
not just based on weak regulation. The current threats in the "5G
manifesto" are also false insofar as they allege that net neutrality rules
actually harm their financial returns. Extensive economic research on
investment in several jurisdictions with strong net neutrality rules in
place demonstrates that open internet safeguards do not harm their profits
or diminish their investments.

Net neutrality is at the core of the internet’s functionality and is
crucial in ensuring the protection of users’ rights to free expression and
privacy online. Protecting the open nature of the internet is compatible
with – if not an absolute prerequisite for – the availability and the
development of the Internet of Things and the ever-increasing number of
innovative products and services, such as connected cars and e-health. In
fact, the principles on which net neutrality is based, including innovation
without a need to obtain permission, end-to-end connectivity, transparency,
and non- discrimination, are essential for these innovative products and
services. Since these products often rely on significant and constant
bandwidth, regulation – rather than a "free pass" rule or blind inattention
– will be needed.

Net neutrality rules will ensure that the number of innovative
internet-based services and applications will continue to increase. With
global demand for faster and better access to the internet on the rise,
internet access providers will continue to have a strong incentive to
develop and invest in enhanced network capacity. This so-called “virtuous
circle” illustrates the long-term economic benefit for telecommunications
companies to invest in infrastructure.

Users and, indeed, regulators and lawmakers should not have to endure
hollow threats and blackmail everytime a new technical evolution appears.
We now have open internet rules in place in a large number of countries
around the world, including the European Union, Chile, the UnitedStates and
India, and they must be applied. We urge you to clearly reiterate that the
principles of open, competitive, innovative and neutral internet are not
negotiable.

Clear and robust net neutrality and the deployment of high speed broadband
must go hand in hand to respond to the technological challenges of the 21st
century. We urge you to protect users’ rights to receive and impart
information online without interference by telecommunications companies and
resist the unsubstantiated demands posited in the 5G Manifesto.

We look forward to working together to safeguard an open, secure and fast
internet.

Sincerely,


   - Access Now, International
   - ACI-Participa, Honduras
   - AKVorrat.at - Working Group on Data Retention, Austria
   - ARTICLE19, International
   - Asociación por los Derechos Civiles (ADC), Argentina
   - Asociatia pentru Tehnologie si Internet (ApTI), Romania
   - Bits of Freedom, The Netherlands
   - Center for Cyber Security, Pakistan
   - Chaos Computer Club (CCC), Germany
   - Derechos Digitales, Latin America
   - Digitalcourage, Germany
   - European Digital Rights (EDRi), Europe
   - Espacio Público, Venezuela
   - Fight for the Future, International
   - Free Press Unlimited, The Netherlands
   - Föreningen för Digitala Fri-och Rättigheter (DFRI), Sweden
   - Fundación Acceso, Costa Rica
   - Initiative für Netzfreiheit, Austria
   - Internet Democracy Project, India
   - Internet Freedom Foundation, India
   - Internet Policy Observatory, Pakistan
   - IT for Change, India
   - IT-Political Association of Denmark
   - IPANDETEC, Panamá
   - La Quadrature du Net, France
   - OpenMedia, International
   - Open Rights Group, United Kingdom
   - Public Knowledge, International
   - quintessenz, Austria
   - R3D, Mexico
   - Susiendo, Comunicación y Cultura Digital, Mexico
   - TEDIC, Paraguay
   - Usuarios Digitales, Ecuador
   - The Unwanted Witness, Uganda
   - VE Inteligente, Venezuela
   - Xnet, Spain

About La Quadrature du Net

La Quadrature du Net is an advocacy group that defends 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

contact at laquadrature.net – +33 (0)972 294 426

https://www.laquadrature.net/en/press-room
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*La Quadrature du Net60, rue des OrteauxParis, 75020*

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