EU leaders have reached a compromise on the proposed net neutrality legislation, the Financial Times reports. Under plans tabled by the Latvian presidency of the European Council, telecom operators will have to ensure the "equal treatment of all traffic" except in certain circumstances. These range from having to comply with a request from law enforcement, preserving the security of a network or letting users introduce parental controls.
Operators will be able to offer specialised, faster services so long as they do not interfere with the service offered to other customers. "It is a step forward," said one telecoms executive familiar with the proposals, who said the ability to provide differentiated services was a key concession for companies that want to charge different rates for higher speeds and guaranteed access.
However, the new proposals are still at a very early stage in the legislative process, and there were still some areas of concern for the industry, in particular its inability to manage internet traffic for purposes other than addressing congestion problems. There were also gaps in the proposals in terms of how to treat online child abuse material, as well as the approach to 'zero rated' services that do not carry a data cost to the consumer.
