Alliance for broadband competition sets out benchmarks for EU’s telecommunications update

On 12 July, EU and US telecommunications experts issued a clear warning: to ensure investment in broadband and to give consumers high-speed access to the internet, efficient competition has to be guaranteed.

EU policy-makers, academics, civil society and internet providers gathered at #NetCompetition’s high-level forum to lay down the yardstick for the upcoming telecommunications review. For the EU to deliver for citizens and businesses, the EU must:

• Reinforce the EU’s successful pro-competitive principles, because network investment and competition in the market are complementary;
• Prevent the (re)creation of oligopolistic or monopolistic market structures, guaranteeing that big and small providers can compete under fair conditions;
• Update the existing consumer protection rules so that consumers can reap the benefits of competition in the markets;

Joe McNamee, Executive Director of EDRi said:

“It is remarkable, after decades of successful pro-competitive regulation in the telecoms sector, the big operators are still trying to turn back the clock. Like it or not – competition works – monopolies
don’t.”

Johannes Pruchnow, Member of the BREKO Advisory Board and former CEO of Versatel, said:

“Fast and reliable internet is the backbone of a thriving economy and crucial to guarantee a free and unrestricted flow of ideas among citizens. This is best guaranteed in a competitive telecommunications environment. Therefore, EU policy-makers need to make ‘net competition’ their guiding principle when revising the EU’s telecommunication rules.”

The #NetCompetition Alliance exists to ensure that competition in telecoms markets in Europe continues to be the guiding mantra.  #NetCompetition is a multi-stakeholder alliance that includes consumer and digital rights organisations, business user groups, network operators, internet service providers, content and application providers.

Since its establishment in November 2015, the #NetCompetition alliance has kept growing with new members joining from different civil society organisations and industry players. Recent key incorporations include content giant Netflix and the German Association of alternative network operators VATM.

The recent additions to the membership of the #NetCompetition Alliance reinforce its message that a competitive broadband market is needed to ensure ultra-fast, innovative and affordable internet access to businesses, consumers and European society at large.

Note: #NetCompetition promotes this set of principles for competition in the broadband sector.

#NetCompetition
http://www.savenetcompetition.eu/

Press release: Alliance for broadband competition sets out benchmarks for EU’s telecommunications update (12.07.2016, pdf)
https://edri.org/files/netcompetition_forum_pr_20160712.pdf