Leaked: Mobile operators' SCARE campaign against net neutrality

If every packet is equal, so are paedo packets

A Vodafone spokesman told the Register:

"There were widespread concerns amongst European network operators, the GSMA and child protection groups about the traffic management proposals from the European Parliament. The proposals would have prevented network operators from blocking access, on a voluntary basis, to websites hosting illegal child sex abuse material. The European Parliament proposals would therefore have rendered the UK Internet Watch Foundation's voluntary scheme unworkable."

Another one of the leaked ads. Click to enlarge

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, GSMA member Orange published its vision (PDF, 2.2MB) for Europe’s ICT policy but toned down any scaremongering, instead preferring to warn that over-regulation would stifle investment.

“The demand for new services, especially video content, puts tremendous pressure on networks to deliver higher speed, more bandwidth and less latency. In response, European operators have striven to invest in their fixed and mobile networks,” says the Orange manifesto. OTT mobile messaging services such as WhatsApp and free VoIP calling services such as Microsoft's Skype, run on networks maintained by the operators and bypass the operators' traditional revenue generators of voice calls and SMS.

The Orange manifesto goes on to complain that “over the top (OTT) services escape most of European regulation”.

Outgoing EU Digital Agenda Commissioner Neelie Kroes seems unmoved by this. "OTT players are the ones driving digital demand – demand for your services,” she said in a speech to the European Telecommunications Network Operators trade association yesterday.

“Sometimes I think the telecoms sector is its own worst enemy,” Kroes continued. “Make specific complaints: ‘Regulate my rival’ is not a general message that will resonate. The future market won’t be characterised by rent-seeking and protectionism. It won’t feature players stuck in gilded national cages. It won’t achieve profit by relying on dated revenue streams,” she warned. ®