#NetworkFees Rejected: What Stakeholders Responded to the 🇪🇺 Commission’s Consultation on the #FairShare Demands of #Telcos

💬 The consensus is clear: "network fees address a non-existent problem, but will create new ones." #NetNeutrality

https://www.project-disco.org/european-union/network-fees-rejected-stakeholder-response-to-the-ec-consultation/

Rocket Pool to Integrate With Zksync Era, Offering Faster Speeds and Lower Transaction Costs - According to Rocket Pool, a liquid staking derivatives provider, users will have t... - https://news.bitcoin.com/rocket-pool-to-integrate-with-zksync-era-offering-faster-speeds-and-lower-transaction-costs/ #liquidstakingplatform #derivativesprovider #twitterannouncement #totalvaluelocked #ethereumbased #liquidstaking #integration #lidofinance #lidostaking #marketshare #networkfees #rocketpool

#EU #BigTelcos #Broadband #NetworkFees #NetNeutrality: "In a frontal assault on net neutrality, the European Commission wants to force websites and apps to pay fees to broadband companies like Telefonica, Orange and Deutsche Telekom, and it just closed its call for comments on the proposal.

Network fees like this have never existed in the EU. They violate the EU's net neutrality law, and, if put in place, would be a radical departure from how the internet has operated and flourished over the last 30 years.

While reporting solid profits and telling their investors everything is going great, European internet service providers (ISPs) have seemingly convinced the European Commission that the normal rise in online traffic is overwhelming and that, without the government requiring online companies to pay them, they’ll be unable to roll out 5G and fiber fast enough to meet EU goals.

In fact, the largest ISPs appear to want to have websites and apps collectively pay them €36-40 bln a year, according to a 2022 study funded by their lobbying group, ETNO.

There’s a ton of reasons why this would be terrible public policy (see my explainer here for a comprehensive rundown), but I want to focus in this post on exactly how it violates net neutrality.

Both the ISPs and the Commission have repeatedly said that such fees wouldn’t violate the principles of net neutrality or the EU’s Open Internet Regulation, but repetition does not create truth.

Network fees violate net neutrality and would severely distort online competition and user choice."

https://cyberlaw.stanford.edu/blog/2023/05/heres-how-european-commission-proposal-force-websites-pay-isps-violates-net-neutrality

Ordinals Inscriptions on Bitcoin Surpass 10 Million, Fueling NFT and Token Boom - On Monday, May 28, 2023, a pivotal landmark was reached as the aggregate quantity ... - https://news.bitcoin.com/ordinals-inscriptions-on-bitcoin-surpass-10-million-fueling-nft-and-token-boom/ #blockchaininscriptions #inscriptiontechnology #transactionbacklog #bitcoinblockchain #cryptocurrency #caseyrodarmor #erc721tokens #marketplaces #brc20tokens #networkfees #tradevolume #$10million #ordinals #raphjaph

#EU #Broadband #BigTelco #NetworkFees #NetworkNeutrality: "Digital rights groups are strongly against the introduction of network usage fees, for reasons that range from its inherent – and unsolvable – contradiction with net neutrality, to the detrimental impact that network fees will have on European consumers. In its contribution to the exploratory consultation, the NGO Epicenter.works reminds the Commission that network fees “simply cannot be done without infringing on net neutrality”.

The Internet Society echoes: “The introduction of a mandatory payment mechanism would be directly inconsistent and incompatible with [net neutrality] obligations, with direct harm to consumers as a result. For instance, enforcement of the new obligation would give ISPs the right to treat traffic differently, e.g., by allowing them to block, or in other ways penalize, services that do not wish to pay the ISP. In consequence, users would no longer have access to an open Internet, but would be limited to the services that have concluded an agreement to pay their ISP.”

Eventually, end users would suffer most if big telcos get their way. “Consumers will be hurt by poorer service quality and higher prices. SMEs will also face higher prices and a deteriorating service quality as network topology adapts to this artificial price regulation. The cost of innovating in Europe will increase and the resilience of the overall internet could fall below required levels to overcome a potential next crisis. Smaller ISPs currently do more for network development than incumbents, yet they will be hit particularly hard in their ability to compete,” according to Epicenter.works."

https://www.project-disco.org/european-union/network-fees-rejected-stakeholder-response-to-the-ec-consultation/

"The #FairShare demands of a few big telcos have dominated the debate. ☎️ Upon closer inspection, however, none of these #telco claims stand up to scrutiny."

Press release 📑 EU #NetworkFees Lack Justification and Would Harm Europeans

👉 https://ccianet.org/news/2023/05/eu-network-fees-lack-justification-and-would-harm-europeans-new-paper-warns/

While the internet is far from perfect, the solution to its growing pains is not going to be found in overturning its fundamental economics & tossing out #netneutrality in a fruitless attempt to solve a non-existent problem. #networkfees

These kinds of #networkfees have never existed in the EU & violate Europe’s net neutrality law. They would be a radical departure from how the internet has operated over the last 30 years & would harm European consumers, businesses, creators, and non-profits.

#Netneutrality: The EU Commission is evaluating a proposal by Europe’s biggest telecoms to force websites to pay ISPs. These #networkfees are dangerous, unnecessary & violate #netneutrality.

The consultation closed on Friday.

Here are my comments: https://cyberlaw.stanford.edu/blog/2023/05/european-commission-proposal-force-websites-pay-isps-violates-net-neutrality-harms

♻️RT Barbara van Schewick
@vanschewick@twitter.com: #Netneutrality: The EU Commission is evaluating a proposal by Europe’s biggest telecoms to force websites to pay ISPs. These #networkfees are dangerous, unnecessary & violate #netneutrality.
The consultation closed on Friday. Here are my comments: https://cyberlaw.stanford.edu/blog/2023/05/european-commission-proposal-force-websites-pay-isps-violates-net-neutrality-harms

♻️RT Barbara van Schewick
@vanschewick@twitter.com: #Netneutrality: The EU Commission is evaluating a proposal by Europe’s biggest telecoms to force websites to pay ISPs. These #networkfees are dangerous, unnecessary & violate #netneutrality.
The consultation closed on Friday. Here are my comments: https://cyberlaw.stanford.edu/blog/2023/05/european-commission-proposal-force-websites-pay-isps-violates-net-neutrality-harms

🔥 #NetworkFees: 🇩🇰 Denmark says NO❗

In an information note to the @folketinget, the Government warns for the possible negative impact on market dynamics & consumers, and clearly states that there is no need for such measures in Denmark

🔗 https://www.ft.dk/samling/20222/almdel/EUU/bilag/441/2698796.pdf

#FairShare

🧵1/ Network 'plumbing' expert @internetthought (@Stratix_Consult) explains why the whole discussion about the so-called large traffic generators in the #FairShare #NetworkFees debate and the EC questionnaire is misguided

🌐 https://informationlabs.org/podcasts/internet-lab/rudolfvanderberg-04may23/

#NetNeutrality

🧵/2 Their message is reinforced & supported by an additional statement from several MEPs and MPs:

@echo_pbreyer
@woelken
@karmel80
@SuelZorba
@CristianTerhes
@ErnstCornelia

🔗 https://epicenter.works/document/4660

#FairShare #NetworkFees #NetNeutrality

🧵/1 🔥 A broad coalition, ranging from civil society, consumer groups, European and international entertainment, competitive telecom and mobile to sports leagues, issued a clear warning cautioning against #FairShare #NetworkFees

🔗 https://epicenter.works/document/4660

#NetNeutrality

Fibre rollout creates economical and technical efficiencies, resulting in fast dropping costs for telcos. @EFalcon_2024 (@EFF) observes how this changing reality is overlooked in the EC’s #FairShare #NetworkFees consultation

🌐 https://informationlabs.org/podcasts/internet-lab/ernestofalcon-27april23/

#NetNeutrality

🧵/1 🔥 The 🇩🇪 German Monopolies Commission (@Monopolkom) analyses the #FairShare question

❓Their conclusion 👇
❗The idea of #NetworkFees should be rejected❗

🔗 https://www.monopolkommission.de/images/Policy_Brief/MK_Policy_Brief_12.pdf

#NetNeutrality

For @EFalcon_2024 (@EFF) it is clear that the EC’s #FairShare #NetworkFees consultation turns a blind eye to the fact that fibre, together with continuous hardware improvements, will deliver abundant Internet access at lowering costs

🌐 https://informationlabs.org/podcasts/internet-lab/ernestofalcon-27april23/

#NetNeutrality

"Given that it is ❌ not possible to identify from which website, service, or platform #internet traffic stems when using #CDN or #cloud, ALL 🇪🇺 digital players would end up paying #telcos through #NetworkFees."

👇 #FairShare #NetNeutrality
https://www.project-disco.org/european-union/eu-network-fees-why-the-term-large-traffic-generators-is-so-problematic/

How EU Network Fees Would Hit SMEs Disproportionately Hard [Promoted content] https://www.euractiv.com/section/digital/opinion/how-eu-network-fees-would-hit-smes-disproportionately-hard/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #clouds #fairshare #NetworkFees