EC opens Net neutrality consultation

The European Commission has opened a public consultation on Net neutrality, asking both industry and the public for their views and for information on the current ISP market. The consultation is heavily weighted in favor of Net neutrality - where ISPs do not have the right to restrict or limit particular services - and will "focus specifically on transparency, switching and certain aspects of traffic management". Commissioner Neelie Kroes make her views on the issue known in a press release: "Today there is a lack of effective consumer choice when it comes to internet offers. I will use this consultation to help prepare recommendations that will generate more real choices and end the Net neutrality waiting game in Europe." The consultation follows on from three documents published by the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) in May. Responses can be sent in until 15 October. The results will be fed into formal guidance from the EC that it plans to publish next year.