08.30 – 09.00 Registration and welcome coffee
09.00 – 09.10 Moderator’s opening remarks
09.10 – 10.45 Panel 1: Net neutrality – liberalisation through legislation?
The European Commission wants to promote a neutral and open internet, in line with the Digital Agenda, and underline the necessity of freedom of expression and freedom to conduct business.
Will net neutrality increase high-quality, innovative services or will it prevent the development and lead to a slower internet in which a few companies take advantage of removed limitations with more traffic making internet slower for other consumers?
Possible discussion points:
- Do we need internet regulation?
- Who should pay for heavy internet traffic?
- Is net neutrality necessary to ensure technology development?
- How would regulations stipulating net neutrality affect potential investments?
- Is screening a problem today?
Speaker line-up
Vesa Terävä Head of Unit B2, DG Connect, European Commission
Gunnar Hökmark Member of the European Parliament, Vice Chair of EPP Group
Guillermo Beltrà Senior Policy Officer, BEUC – The European Consumer Organisation
Daniel Pataki Director, ETNO – The European Telecommunications Network Operators’ Association
Stefano Fratta Head of Legal and Corporate Affairs, Telefónica Digital
Moderator: Fabio Colasanti President, International Institute of Communications (former Director General DGINFSO)
10.45 – 11.00 Coffee break
11.00 – 12.45 Panel 2: Roaming – one single market within EU?
The aim of the panel is to discuss how eliminating roaming would affect today’s market and how the market will develop in the long run. Will it affect small operators differently than large and how will it affect the development of new technologies? What are the alternatives to a legislative proposal?
Possible discussion points:
- Will the proposed regulation achieve its objectives, i.e. create a single market for roaming, consumer protection and competition?
- How could the EU encourage SME listings? Are the current rules such as the prospectus directive and the transparency directive to burdensome for SMEs? What relaxations or exemptions could be made to lower the thresholds for SMEs to become listed?
- Is retail regulation of data roaming prices necessary and if so, what would be an appropriate model for such regulation?
- What approach for a price cap is to be proffered; roaming prices based on domestic prices in the home market, based on domestic prices in the visited country, etc.
- Would decoupling of roaming services from domestic bundles be a way to enhance competition?
- Would spot-trading for wholesale roaming be feasible?
Speaker line-up
Carlota Reyners Fontana Member of the Cabinet of Vice-President Neelie Kroes, European Commission
Guillermo Beltrà Senior Policy Officer, BEUC – The European Consumer Organisation
Jacques Bonifay CEO, Transatel
Juan Manuel Viver Policy Officer, Better Finance For All
Moderator: Fabio Colasanti President, International Institute of Communications (former Director General DGINFSO)
