In Europe the discussions are just beginning

A user to use the voice on the Internet on his computer Skype portable, another software that can access the Dailymotion video site. The common point of the story Their ISP block or slow access to certain services on its network and violates the so-called "Internet neutrality".

Debate rages in the United States. He opposed operators Telecom - invest in networks and want to reap the fruits by selling priority their content and services - the Internet actors, who grew up with this neutrality. At the beginning of week, the US regulator even enacted six key principles to guarantee equality of access to content, regardless of the Internet access provider. In Europe, the discussions are just beginning. In France, Tuesday, Constable of telecoms, Arcep, heard the representatives of the Association of Internet services community (Asic) of PriceMinister, Google, eBay, Yahoo!, Microsoft or AOL on this theme. "We explained them that in France access providers also offer offers content and services, explains Benoît Tabaka, Director of legal and regulatory affairs at PriceMinister." At the time, they may be tempted to discriminate the access to some competing services for the benefit of their.

Neutrality, a "myth"

To avoid such problems happen, Internet players militate for the establishment of three rules: first, a principle of non-discrimination in access to sites and services; Secondly, transparency for the consumer, who must know where and why the operator manages its traffic; third, impartial arbitration of legal disputes. On the latter point, the Asic application including telecoms Constable can act in conflicts between operators and players in the Internet. These three rules could be incorporated into directive European telecoms package, which must be voted in Parliament in October.

On the other side, the telecoms operators don't want these rules of the game. While they are preparing to invest heavily in very high-speed networks, they feel having to manage only their traffic to avoid congestion on the Internet, both fixed than mobile. "Any use that degrade the services or options is prohibited", note Bouygues Telecom in its general conditions of services. These conditions are the same in Orange and SFR. Thus, subscribers to the Internet a key 3 G wireless cannot use the download peer-to-peer, access to Newsgroups and voice over Internet services. In a letter sent in the spring last the Arcep, the President of the UFC - that choose thought and "in the field of motive, the neutrality of the net is a myth."In the fixed YouTube negotiating with Hollywood studios to sell to the United States to the video on demand at $ 3.99 per movie. Using a Comcast, ATT and other Verizon networks which have massively invested in fiber and have their own VOD services. They may be tempted to give their services in priority access to their subscribers.

In Europe, at the beginning of the year, the of the information society, Viviane Reding, European Commissioner said that "the net neutrality must be guaranteed." But everyone does not agree: Revel, Stephen Carter, the former Minister of telecoms, who wrote the report "Digital britain", think "the neutrality of the Internet could prevent innovation." But Stephen Carter is the former leader of cable operator NTL. Hence its very close position of telecom operators. The debate has only just begun.