Session
Organizer 1: Civil Society, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Organizer 2: Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Organizer 3: Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Organizer 4: Civil Society, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Organizer 2: Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Organizer 3: Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Organizer 4: Civil Society, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Speaker 1: Kyung Sin Park, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 2: Konstantinos Komaitis, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 3: Claudia Ximena Bustamante, Government, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Speaker 4: Paula Bernardi, Civil Society, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Speaker 5: Thomas Volmer, Private Sector, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 2: Konstantinos Komaitis, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 3: Claudia Ximena Bustamante, Government, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Speaker 4: Paula Bernardi, Civil Society, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Speaker 5: Thomas Volmer, Private Sector, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Format
Roundtable
Duration (minutes): 90
Format description: The roundtable format, paired with a 90-minute duration, was chosen to ensure that all participants, regardless of their viewpoints on network fees and net neutrality, could contribute equally. This setup is crucial in guaranteeing a diversity of perspectives, as it encourages open and active participation from everyone around the table, including those with opposing stances. Given the regional diversity of the tentative panelists, it is important to adopt a format that is comprehensive of their experiences with the topic. This format is advantageous because one of the main outcomes is to find points of consensus to inform the decision-making processes of key regulatory bodies. The active participation fostered by the roundtable setup is essential for building effective and equitable internet governance policies. It ensures that the insights and recommendations generated are reflective of a wide range of experiences and expertises, making them more robust and applicable across different regulatory contexts.
Duration (minutes): 90
Format description: The roundtable format, paired with a 90-minute duration, was chosen to ensure that all participants, regardless of their viewpoints on network fees and net neutrality, could contribute equally. This setup is crucial in guaranteeing a diversity of perspectives, as it encourages open and active participation from everyone around the table, including those with opposing stances. Given the regional diversity of the tentative panelists, it is important to adopt a format that is comprehensive of their experiences with the topic. This format is advantageous because one of the main outcomes is to find points of consensus to inform the decision-making processes of key regulatory bodies. The active participation fostered by the roundtable setup is essential for building effective and equitable internet governance policies. It ensures that the insights and recommendations generated are reflective of a wide range of experiences and expertises, making them more robust and applicable across different regulatory contexts.
Policy Question(s)
A. How do proposals for network fees and the strengthening of telecom monopolies in data termination affect the broader principles of an open, accessible, and competitive Internet ecosystem across different regulatory frameworks?
B. What evidence is there from current connectivity data to support or refute the efficacy of network fees in sustaining network infrastructure without compromising open and equitable Internet access?
C. In what ways can international cooperation and policy harmonization address the challenges to reach a sustainable Internet ecosystem to ensure a balanced approach to Internet governance that respects both the economic and social dimensions of network access?
What will participants gain from attending this session? Participants will gain insights into the global movement of network fees proposals that supposedly aim to promote a balance between network providers and content providers in contributing to infrastructure costs. These proposals force us to examine their potential impact on the critical properties that define the Internet's success – its open architecture, distributed management, and technological neutrality – as well as the enabling factors that contribute to its accessibility, resilience, and trustworthiness. Attendees will also examine what connectivity data reveals about the impact of network fees, providing a data-driven foundation for understanding these policies. With panelists from diverse regions, including Latin America, Europe, and Asia, each discussing their distinctive approaches to balancing network infrastructure sustainability with the digital rights of citizens to a free and open Internet, this dialogue aims to provide attendees with a deeper understanding of the issues and tools to influence these discussions in their regions.
SDGs
Description:
The session will shed light on the significant implications of “network fees” proposals which would require by law that large digital content providers contribute to the network infrastructure costs — in addition to that their contribution of subsea cables and content delivery networks. Large telecoms call for a more proportional contribution in line with the traffic volume while some governments point to the regions that are still left unconnected due to cost concerns. The intensifying debate requires an understanding of the proposal’s relationship to the principle of net neutrality — deemed vital for an open and equitable internet. The topic is of great debate in a wide range of countries, including Brazil, South Korea, the US, and the EU on diverse policy spaces. Brazil’s National Agency of Telecommunications(ANATEL)’s consultation generated a few studies and the alternative discussion of a “connectivity fund” that may or may not skirt the net neutrality issue. While the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) has published a report that contradicts the necessity of network fees by highlighting the ongoing decrease in data transit costs and the efficient management of increased data traffic across Europe, the South Korean government seems content with their world’s first sender pay rule among ISPs enacted for the past decade. The workshop is designed to enrich participants with data-driven insights into the network fees debate, fostering a conversation about the possible repercussions of such policy on Internet access, innovation, and digital rights.
The session will shed light on the significant implications of “network fees” proposals which would require by law that large digital content providers contribute to the network infrastructure costs — in addition to that their contribution of subsea cables and content delivery networks. Large telecoms call for a more proportional contribution in line with the traffic volume while some governments point to the regions that are still left unconnected due to cost concerns. The intensifying debate requires an understanding of the proposal’s relationship to the principle of net neutrality — deemed vital for an open and equitable internet. The topic is of great debate in a wide range of countries, including Brazil, South Korea, the US, and the EU on diverse policy spaces. Brazil’s National Agency of Telecommunications(ANATEL)’s consultation generated a few studies and the alternative discussion of a “connectivity fund” that may or may not skirt the net neutrality issue. While the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) has published a report that contradicts the necessity of network fees by highlighting the ongoing decrease in data transit costs and the efficient management of increased data traffic across Europe, the South Korean government seems content with their world’s first sender pay rule among ISPs enacted for the past decade. The workshop is designed to enrich participants with data-driven insights into the network fees debate, fostering a conversation about the possible repercussions of such policy on Internet access, innovation, and digital rights.
Expected Outcomes
The session examines the multifaceted impacts of network fee proposals on the Internet ecosystem, focusing particularly on regulatory approaches and their implications for competition, innovation, access, and user rights. Expected outcomes are a set of recommendations for policymakers and regulators. Additionally, a significant outcome will be to raise public awareness of the risks and foster a global coalition to engage with the issue, aiming to influence and guide international policy on sustainable Internet infrastructure models.
Hybrid Format: ITS Rio, with experience from three hybrid IGF sessions since 2020, ensures equal participation for both onsite and online attendees. Instead of passive listening, virtual attendees will actively shape discussions. The session will alternate between onsite and online participants, facilitated by dedicated moderators for each group, integrating remote contributions in real time. Speakers will limit their initial talks to 10 minutes, leading to a dynamic roundtable where attendees interact with specific prompts related to policy questions. Utilizing Padlet as a collaborative tool allows all participants to record insights and recommendations during the session. This method ensures that contributions are directly used in shaping policy recommendations for policymakers and regulators.