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<DIV dir=ltr lang=en-us class=OutlookMessageHeader align=left><FONT size=2
face=Tahoma>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, May 25, 2011
4:05 PM<BR><B>Subject:</B> Dutch will enshrine net neutrality in telecom
law<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>hereby the press release, translated, with comments in
italics.
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 7.2pt; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 17pt">Guarantee
for a free internet in the telecommunications law</SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 7.2pt; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 8.5pt">The
Telecommunications law will be changed to guarantee a free (unobstructed RB)
access to the internet. Minister Verhagen, Minister of Economic Affairs,
Agriculture and Innovation announced this in the second chamber of parliament on
Tuesday May 24<SUP>th</SUP>. </SPAN></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 7.2pt; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Skype
and Whatsapp</SPAN></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 7.2pt; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 8.5pt">Some
providers of mobile internet had announced a surcharge for specific services.
This because of the needed investments in the network and the decline in voice
and sms-traffic. Minister Verhagen isn’t against paying for the quantity or the
speed of the data traffic. The Cabinet <I>(Council of Ministers, including
the prime minister RB)</I> however is of the opinion that a surcharge on
specific services like Skype or Whatsapp goes too far. </SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 7.2pt; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Netneutrality</SPAN></B><B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 8.5pt"></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 7.2pt; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 8.5pt">Minister
Verhagen will draft a proposal in the coming weeks to include this in the
telecommunications law. That means that the so called netneutrality will be
legally incorporated. The consumer can then entrust that specific internet
service on their mobile will not be additionally taxed or blocked by mobile
providers. The Second Chamber of Parliament had insisted on this through the
motion Bakhuizen <I>(a motion is a request of the Second Chamber of parliament
on a minister or the cabinet to take action in a specific case, often leaving
the minister a bit of leeway in the way he executes the motion. The motion was
accepted by most parties in parliament, except one of the ruling coalition’s
parties, who weren’t against the idea of netneutrality, but more concerned about
the specific way it would be implement RB)</I></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 7.2pt; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">European</SPAN></B><B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 8.5pt">
</SPAN></B><B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Union</SPAN></B><B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 8.5pt"></SPAN></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 7.2pt; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 8.5pt">Verhagen
will also confer in the European Union about free access to internet. The
Netherlands is with this announced change in the law one of the first countries
in the world to guarantee free access to the internet in law.<B> </B></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 7.2pt; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 17pt"></SPAN> </P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 7.2pt; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 17pt"></SPAN> </P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 7.2pt; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 17pt">Garantie
vrij internet in telecomwet</SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 14.4pt 0cm 7.2pt; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; COLOR: #535353; FONT-SIZE: 8.5pt">Nieuwsbericht
| 24-05-2011</SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 7.2pt 0cm 19.2pt; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top"
class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 8.5pt">De
Telecomwet wordt gewijzigd om vrije toegang tot het internet te garanderen. Dat
maakte minister van Economische Zaken, Landbouw en Innovatie Verhagen dinsdag 24
mei 2011 bekend in de Tweede Kamer.</SPAN></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN-TOP: 14.4pt; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Skype
en WhatsApp</SPAN></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 19.7pt; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 8.5pt">Sommige
providers van mobiel internet hadden een heffing aangekondigd voor bepaalde
diensten. Dit vanwege de benodigde investeringen in het netwerk en het afnemende
bel- en sms-verkeer. Minister Verhagen is niet tegen betaling voor de
hoeveelheid of de snelheid van het dataverkeer. Het kabinet vindt een heffing op
bepaalde diensten zoals Skype of WhatsApp echter te ver gaan.</SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN-TOP: 14.4pt; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Netneutraliteit</SPAN></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 19.7pt; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 8.5pt">Minister
Verhagen komt binnen enkele weken met een voorstel om dit op te nemen in de
Telecomwet. Daarmee wordt de zogeheten netneutraliteit wettelijk vastgelegd. De
consument kan er dan van op aan dat specifieke internetdiensten op de mobiel
niet extra door de providers worden belast of geblokkeerd. De Tweede Kamer had
daarop met de motie Braakhuizen al eerder aangedrongen.</SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN-TOP: 14.4pt; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Europese
Unie</SPAN></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 19.7pt; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 8.5pt">Verhagen
zal ook binnen de Europese Unie overleg voeren over vrije toegang tot internet.
Nederland is met de voorgenomen wetswijziging één van de eerste landen in de
wereld die de vrije toegang tot internet wettelijk
garandeert.</SPAN></P></DIV></BODY></HTML>