Italy

[IT] AGCOM Launches Public Consultations on Net Neutrality, and on Peer-to-Peer and VoIP

IRIS 2011-5:1/28

Ana Perdigao

Biontino Consultants

Net neutrality, and Peer-to-Peer and VoIP are priorities for the Italian authority, as stated in a recent press release. The first public consultation will be on the results of a survey into consumer protection and competition protection relating to the VOIP and Peer-to-Peer mobile services. After approval of the final version the public consultation was launched.

The study of VOIP and P2P had the aim of analysing the new challenges of the mobile sector from a broad perspective, the changes in the market, the legal and economic aspects, and the technical implications. The purpose was to receive as much input as possible from stakeholders.

Results from this field of study reveal that this discussion is very crucial in Europe and in the USA in relation to Net neutrality.

As a consequence, the Italian authority decided to launch a separate consultation for Net neutrality.

On this occasion many questions will be integral to the discussion, such as the evolution of the sector, the new technical perspective, and the transformation of the market structure. Consumer guarantees and the protection of competition are at the core of the study and the debate.

The public consultation will last for 60 days.


References

  • Delibera n. 39/11/CONS, recante “Indagine conoscitiva concernente ‘Garanzie dei consumatori e tutela della concorrenza con riferimento ai servizi vocali suprotocollo internet (VoIP) ed al traffico peer-to-peer su rete mobile’: approvazione dellarelazione finale e avvio della consultazione pubblica”, 3 febbraio 2011
  • http://www.agcom.it/Default.aspx?message=visualizzadocument&DocID=5766


This article has been published in IRIS Legal Observations of the European Audiovisual Observatory.