Net neutrality update September 2016

There has been further analysis of and commentary on BEREC’s net neutrality guidelines this month: BBC News reported that Three’s proposals to offer an ad-blocking service (more background here); the guidelines state that “ISPs should not block, slow down, alter, restrict, interfere with, degrade or discriminate advertising when providing an IAS (Internet Access Service).” Also see Lexology which also published an overview of the new guidelines.

Ars Technica, CCS Insight and ISP Review reported on a submission by Netflix to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that data caps on residential broadband services are unreasonable and that they limit customers’ ability to watch online video: “Data caps (especially low data caps) and usage-based pricing ('UBP') discourage a consumer’s consumption of broadband, and may impede the ability of some households to watch Internet television in a manner and amount that they would like…The Commission should recognize that data caps and UBP on fixed line networks are an unnecessary constraint on advanced telecommunications capability.”

Researchers at Stanford University have developed a technology which they claim could “break the net neutrality deadlock”. The technology would allow an internet user to tell network providers and online publishers when and if they want content or services to be given preferential delivery: “Network Cookies allow users to choose which home or mobile traffic should get favoured delivery, while putting network operators and content providers on a level playing field in catering to such user-signalled preferences.” Also see commentaries from Wired and Network World.