Comment Neelie (Kroes)

Making speeches talk

Comment Neelie
[...] Second, we must ensure transparency. Before you sign up to an internet contract, you want to know key details. What's included, what's not; and, in particular, what speed you'll actually get. Too often those are hidden away in long and complex contracts. That's not good enough. We all deserve a clear promise before signing up – not a nasty surprise after. After all, when you buy a carton of milk, you don't expect it to be half-empty: the same goes for 50 Megabit internet.
48.8, 2.33333 - Paris FRANCE
fiberguy
In January you published a tribune in Libération entitled "Internet et applications de filtrage : une histoire de choix et de recettes" in which you argued that transparency was key if neutrality could not be achieved (indeed, I read it as "since we can't agree on neutrality, let's have transparency".) I find that a very dangerous position and I find that again in this paragraph. It worries me. It also worries me that the ISP argument that their investment is directly related to increased use of internet access is reproduced piecemeal here. ISPs are investing so they can distribute their own TV offerings in high quality and offer their own services in high quality. They're investing if and when other players in the market compete on bandwidth speeds. They are NOT investing because they WANT to provide more bandwidth to end users: they know full well that it's hard to monetize that. Internet access is the most profitable part of broadband packages. The one that finances all the other products and services. And it's the one they degrade to protect their other services. It concerns me that this very simple fact isn't at the heart of all policy thinking on network economics...
fiberguy, 04/06/2013 10:04
38.7333, -9.15 - Lisbon PORTUGAL
Goncalo Pinheira
Also, at least as important as the consumers knowing what they're getting is the ability to easily TEST what they've actually got, and being able to unilaterally revoke the contract if it's not what's stated.
Goncalo Pinheira, 05/06/2013 19:10