Lastly, regulators must carefully consider the impact on all stakeholders before they adopt formal measures and reconcile their views. It will be difficult to reach a common position given the disparate views of the various sides. The US's heavy-handed approach to the introduction of net neutrality rules will provide a useful example for other NRAs considering a similar approach in the future.
In the long term, in most countries net neutrality regulation will be imposed through formal measures rather than a voluntary agreement being reached by the industry players.
The new European Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) met for the first time in Brussels in January and is already heading in this direction. It has made net neutrality one of the key priorities in its 2010 work program, which should stimulate further debate around the issue. The revision to the regulatory framework will strengthen requirements for keeping the internet neutral, which will also drive the 27 EU member states toward introducing rules.
Charice Wang is a London-based analyst for Ovum
MORE ARTICLES ON BEREC, CMT, FCC, JAPAN, MIC, NET NEUTRALITY, OFCOM, REGULATION, SPAIN, UK, US