ITSPA (the Internet Telephony Service Provider's Association) has voiced support for the European Council net neutrality proposal after presenting the Latvian Presidency of the European Union an award, voted on by its members for their leadership in developing a workable council text on the Open Internet.
ITSPA has long campaigned for an open Internet to ensure effective competition in Internet-based services but has expressed concerns about adopting an extreme net-neutrality position that would prevent effective management of the Internet.
Eli Katz, chair of ITSPA, said: "We have been very active in this area over the last few years. We believe the Latvian Presidencies' Open Internet proposals strike the right balance between promoting competition while enabling innovation.
"They will put an end to abusive practices by a minority of ISPs who have tried to frustrate competition with their own services while at the same time allowing specialised services to be offered with enhanced levels of prioritisation.
"This is essential if the Internet is to reach its full potential, for example by delivering TV services over broadband to free up valuable radio spectrum for mobiles."
Eli Katz went on to express the hope that the European Parliament would not seek to modify the text.
"This is a carefully worded proposal that has undergone thorough review. This is a complex area and it's all too easy to create unfortunate unintended consequences which would be difficult to unwind. We urge the Parliament to accept the Council net neutrality text while keeping the area under review to ensure the internet remains open and vibrant."
Pictured: Guy Miller of ITSPA presents the award to Ildze Jansone, Coordinator of the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the EU at the Embassy of Latvia in the UK.