№309. Net Neutrality and Mandatory Network-Sharing: How to disconnect the continent
№309. Net Neutrality and Mandatory Network-Sharing: How to disconnect the continent

Author(s): Andrea Renda
Subject(s): EU-Accession / EU-DEvelopment, ICT Information and Communications Technologies
Published by: CEPS Centre for European Policy Studies
Keywords: Net Neutrality; Mandatory Network-Sharing; Connected Continent legislative;
Summary/Abstract: A lively debate emerged on the proposed “Connected Continent” legislative package presented by the European Commission in September 2013. The package contains a proposed rule on the ‘open Internet’, which was heavily discussed in European Parliament hearings in early December. This commentary argues that while the proposed rule is in principle balanced and appealing, it is utterly impractical due to the enormous uncertainty that itsapplication would entail. At the same time, the rule is very far from what neutrality proponents have argued for almost a decade: rather than the place for internet freedom, it would transform the Web into a place requiring constant micro-management and tutoring of user behaviour. Both arguments lead to the conclusion that the current proposal should be at once reformed and analysed under a more holistic lens.

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