Telecoms Promise 5G Networks If EU Cripples Net Neutrality (theverge.com)

An anonymous reader quotes The Verge: A group of 20 major telcos including Deutsche Telekom, Nokia, Vodafone, and BT promise to launch 5G networks in every country in the European Union by 2020 -- so long as governments decide to weaken net neutrality rules. The coalition's plans are outlined in its "5G Manifesto," a seven-page document that details how the companies will roll 5G out across the continent over the next few years. However, by warning against regulation that would ensure an open internet and encouraging nations to water rules down, the companies are effectively holding the new technology for ransom... "The EU must reconcile the need for open Internet with pragmatic rules that foster innovation," reads the manifesto. "The telecom industry warns that current net neutrality guidelines, as put forward by [the Body of European Regulators], create significant uncertainties around 5G return on investment..."
The EU is asking the public to share their feedback on the manifesto.

Comments

What's bad for the telcos

[pr0t0]

If the telcos don't want it, it must be good for the consumer.

Re:What's bad for the telcos

[Anonymous Coward]

If the telcos don't want it, it must be good for the consumer.

That sentiment applies to all big business these days. Whenever a business wants regulations changed (usually with the excuse of "helping the consumer"; which is always bullshit), I always try to figure out it benefits them - and how it usually hurts the little guy. I am called cynical - but I'm always right.

I am now under the opinion that it's best and safest to reject business' desires just because they want it. Like my opinion of the TPP.

Big biz REALLY wants it and it's filled with so much legal jargon that I cannot understand. Therefore; it is prudent to be against it.

Oh this is cute.

[Pig Hogger]

Now, if the EU had any balls, it should pull the licences from those operators and give it to those who would not blackmail them. Or, better yet, promise anti-neutrality rules for AFTER the 5G network is up, then tell them to fuck-off.

How about this

[Ziest]

The EU government says to the telcos, implement 5G or lose your corporate charter. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.

Re:How about this

[dgatwood]

Nah. Just tell them that if they don't set up 5G, they'll license the spectrum to someone who will. After all, this is just the prisoner's dilemma. I'm sure there are at least a few of those companies who would gladly stab the others in the back.

How is that legal?

[Anonymous Coward]

Isn't this going to run into all kinds of anti-trust law? How can this group of companies get together and agree on something like this? Isn't this a hilarious level of collusion?

Re:How is that legal?

[Uberbah]

Either it is collusion, or they have a legitimate gripe that the government is ignoring. Unlike most of the comments here, I tend towards the latter. Telecom in most of the EU isn't like in the U.S. They have lots of competition.

If there was lots of competition, they wouldn't be making this demand in the first place, as any company that started throttling content from other providers would lose marketshare and go out of business. Which would mean there isn't enough competition to enforce good behavior on their part.

And the price tiers ...

[Calydor]

5G Price Tiers:

50 Euro/month, 2 GB data cap, throttle to 64 kbps when you pass it for the rest of the month.
100 Euro/month, 3 GB data cap, throttle to 64 kbps when you pass it for the rest of the month.

And so on and so forth. They already do it with 4G, why not 5?

Yes, I really did see the other day a data plan for 21.6 mbps downstream, 1 GB monthly data cap and 64 kbps throttle.

No they can't

[Anonymous Coward]

They can provide 5G but only if they can throttle the speed?

I guess they can't provide 5G then.

Re:Collusion?

[Anonymous Coward]

More than laws it has rules. You know the Golden Rule, those with the gold make the rules.

Comapnies trying to trick the EU

[SmaryJerry]

They will and have to launch 5G anyways. This is a scam to try to get something profitable from the EU for work they already have planned.

Uh huh...

[EmeraldBot]

In the US, our internet service providers promised that with those sweet, sweet government enabling funds, we'd all be connected with "high speed" internet at a "reasonable" price. Here we are, a market with three competitors, a significant portion of the country running under a monopoly, extremely high prices for a limited amount of data (it's not rare to pay $150+ for what goes for €30 here in Germany), and are on the verge to legally owning something the government paid to build and would be promised is theirs. Even if the EU consents, why should they actually build it out? They are promising a verbal contract here, one that technically isn't valid, and if they actually did write a contract it would have the stipulation such that 95% of the country has to use more than 128 Terabytes per month or so. As soon as net neutrality is off the table, you will have to pay €150 for anything faster than 256 kpbs, I guarantee you.

And that's not even considering what the internet was actually for. It may just be a giant commercial venue today, but it's mind blowing to think that once upon a time, it actually was for academic purposes and freedom of speech and all that. While I don't think it should be exclusively a government service, it should at the very least be regulated as a utility should be, or if not that than the government should provide its own service to compete with the private ones. It would be insane to think of a water company limiting your water supply to a trickle, or your electric company deciding that if you don't double your monthly payment they will halve your power supply, and I don't understand why the internet shouldn't be opened the same way, especially given that we've already suffered through every website being a front to sell something, there's enough pure profit going on as it is.

Here's hoping the EU has the balls to do what the US government couldn't (and still can't).

Survey

[tsa]

I tried to fill in the survey that is linked to above. First you have to state if you act for a company or as an individual. I filled in Individual. Then I had to answer many mandatory questions about the company I represented and how important 5G was for my company. After that came questions like:

5G European deployment should also target as priority from the start the services that enable creation of ecosystems with vertical industries, namely mMTC and URLL classes of use cases

Agree
Neutral
Disagree

Yeah, I can easily aswer questions like this as an individual who just uses his phone for YouTube and Whatsapp. Thanks EU for the nice survey.

Re:Yay

[MightyMartian]

I think someone should to go the Telcos and say "We want our money back, with interest, within fifteen minutes, or we start seizing assets and jailing executives and Boards."

Re:Eu is too big

[NotInHere]

You really believe this shit? The UK just discussed legislation to lick the asses of the content providers, shortly after the EU vote. And it will continue to worsen for UK citizens.

In fact you *need* state cartels (like the EU) to stop big corporations from exploiting countries. Think of the taxes situation: companies chose the country with the lowest taxes as their official place to be registered. This is nothing evil by the companies, but it creates competition amongst the countries about who has the lowest taxes. The end of the story is that the companies profit from super low taxes, and the countries get overloaded by debt like greece.

The only way out of this is to form a (game-theoretic) cartel of countries, as the EU is. Then you have at least *some* power over internationally acting companies.

Re:Eu is too big

[whoever57]

The UK may wind up being the technology leader in Europe in ten years if the remaining EU allows telco extortion.

You really think that the "Leave" blowhards like Theresa May are not in the pocket of big businesses like the telcos? Perhaps I have a bridge to sell you -- it's a nice bridge, called "London Bridge".

I don't hold out much hope, but I think that there is a greater chance that the EU will enforce net neutrality than the UK government.

You remember all those "EU regulations" that the Leave campaign warned people about? Net neutrality is likely one of them.

If you are in the UK and voted to leave, good luck buying a new car: new RHD cars are going to revert back to being much more expensive than LHD cars bought in the EU. Again: those pesky EU regulations, keeping prices down for consumers: it can't be allowed to continue.