The Latvian presidency of the EU on Wednesday proposed a set of net neutrality rules that will allow telcos to offer tiered levels of quality to online service providers.
The draft regulations will enshrine a citizen’s right to access and distribute content of their choice on the Internet, preventing operators from blocking or slowing down specific content or applications.
There are exceptions though. For instance, a customer may request their Internet service provider (ISP) to block spam. Blocking might also be necessary to prevent the spread of malware and head off cyberattacks.
In addition, "agreements on services requiring a specific level of quality will be allowed, but operators will have to ensure the quality of Internet access services," read a statement from the Latvian presidency.
"Ensuring an even approach will be a challenging balancing act," noted Adrian Baschnonga, lead telecoms analyst at EY, in a research note.
"European lawmakers appreciate that operators need some flexibility when managing traffic loads – opening the door for differentiated service levels – but are also keen to cement guarantees for internet service quality and availability," he said.
The next step will see the presidency negotiate the terms of the proposed rules with the European Parliament on behalf of the EU Council. Both institutions must vote in favour of the legislation in order for it to be adopted.
Meanwhile, Latvia has also drafted new EU-wide rules governing mobile roaming charges.
It has proposed that operators allocate customers a roaming allowance that allows them to use voice, SMS and data while abroad without incurring any roaming fees. Once the allowance has been used, operators will be allowed to charge a fee, albeit one that is much lower than current charges.
The changes represent an intermediate step towards phasing out roaming charges a ltogether, and Latvia will ask the European Commission to assess by mid-2018 whether any further measures are needed.
