Internet “aperta” e Neutralità della rete a rischio in Europa. Commissario Kroes così non va! Una proposta: il modello olandese

Ti piacerebbe se qualcun’altro decidesse per te come, quando e cosa puoi fare e vedere in Internet?

Questo però è il pericolo se passerà la proposta di regolamento europeo sul mercato unico delle comunicazioni elettroniche presentata dal Commissario europeo Neelie Kroes, che mette a rischio la Neutralità della rete (Net Neutrality) e quindi Internet “aperta” in Europa.

La neutralità della rete è il principio in base al quale operatori di reti di telecomunicazioni, internet service provider (ISP) e governi sono tenuti a trattare in modo “uguale” tutto il traffico Internet, non discriminando o differenziando per origine, destinazione, contenuto, tipologia, modalità.

La neutralità della rete ci riguarda quindi tutti, in quanto alla base di Internet “aperta” come noi la conosciamo, e strettamente connessa a nostre libertà fondamentali come quelle di informazione e di autodeterminazione della persona, ma con effetti anche sui processi democratici, della libertà d’impresa e della concorrenza.

Cosa possiamo fare?
Seguendo il dibattito in atto ho voluto approfondire l’argomento, anche analizzando cosa accade in Europa e nel mondo, per capire cosa può fare ognuno di noi.

Per iniziare a comprendere cosa potrebbe significare mettere a rischio il principio di neutralità della rete, vi suggerisco questo video che lo spiega con ironia ma in modo efficace …

La Net Neutrality è un argomento che non si può esaurire in poche righe, se quindi masticate un po’ di inglese vi consiglio anche di guardarvi What is Net Neutrality and why is it important? e Net Neutrality (Hungry Beast).

Qual’è il rischio in Europa?

Il Commissario europeo per l’agenda digitale Neelie Kroes ha presentato una proposta di regolamento europeo sul mercato unico europeo delle comunicazioni elettroniche e per realizzare un continente connesso.

Tale regolamento presenta in particolare due articoli che mettono a rischio la neutralità della rete:

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I tried, but I failed

Languages:  Italiano English

I tried!
Yes, I tried to have faith, and I really worked with all my strength, with great perseverance and insistence, as far as inopportunity, to have my European project enter the Italian political agendas with a view to the European elections in June, but I failed.

I tried to have them understand the importance and the urgency, in our times, to assure the digital citizenship (hence, first of all, the broadband connectivity) to all European citizens, business and institutions to allow them to actively participate, as protagonists, in the Knowledge Society, for a forward-looking Europe.
I tried to have them understand the wonderful chances lying before us, but also the immense risks of doing nothing.
But I failed.

During these last weeks, I maintained a due reserve. In fact, it seemed as if something was moving, at last. There has been an interest from some important national representatives, mainly from the Partito Democratico (Democratic Party), and from other parties as well.
I would like to thank those hundreds people who supported me.
I would like to thank Mr. Romano Prodi who wrote me no less than two letters in his own hand to support me – I will be proud to show them to Camilla when she grows up.
I would like to thank Mr. Hans-Gert Pöttering, the President of the European Parliament for his words of assessment, and of spur to go on.
I am sorry, but all that has been useless. At last, the parties’ nominations have been decided by the same old few names according to the same old self-referential logics, careless of the people’s will, without considering merits and proposals.

I have always thought that to be politically involved means to realize concrete ideas and projects to improve citizens’ life. All the rest is party hacks’ idle chatter.

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Mercato europeo a Brescia

Ma che bellissima atmosfera c’era oggi al Mercato Europeo in centro a Brescia, una tre giorni con venditori provenienti dai paesi dell’Unione Europea.

Dove mai potevo fermarmi io?
Ovvio, allo stand gastronimico della Grecia dove ho potuto gustare un bel Pita Gyros con birra greca Mythos.

Molto bello, c’erano decine di bancarelle con un sacco di prodotti tipici delle varie nazioni, dagli zoccoli di legno olandesi, al buonissimo pane brezel teutonico, alla classica pottery britannica, e moltissimi altri.

Proprio una bellissima iniziativa!

Sarà, ma io trovo molto eccitanti ed emozionanti questi incontri di culture e cosa volete che vi dica, io mi ci trovo bene, ed ho sempre la sorprendente sensazione di sentirmi a casa in questi strani melting pot.
🙂

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Il progetto si internazionalizza

Visto l’interesse che inizia ad esserci per il mio progetto “europeo” anche dall’estero ho deciso di tradurlo in inglese per fare in modo che le onde formate dal sasso che ho lanciato possano andare ancora più lontano.

Incrociamo le dita!

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If I were a Member of the European Parliament (MEP)

Languages: Italiano English

Next June, we will vote for renewing the European Parliament. Up to now however, I heard about names and general great ideals only. No specific ideas, and no projects.

I think that to be politically involved means to realize concrete ideas and projects to improve citizens’ life.
Hence, I presumptuously tried to imagine what I would do if I were a Member of the European Parliament (MEP).

If I were a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) I would commit myself in realising one great project only,

enable the building of the “highways” which would allow all European citizens, business and institutions, wherever they are, to actively participate, as protagonists, in the Knowledge Society.

Since I don’t like to attack from under cover, in a fit of faith into the future during the last weeks of the past year, I really tried to write down a project, and I called it,

A Broadband Future for Europe.
To build a European superfast Broadband Network based on fiber optic.   
For a forward-looking Europe.

A nine-page project I so divided,

• Introduction
• A Fiber Optic European Network
• Benefits
• Services
• Government interventions
• Consensus
• Final remarks

As you can see, I also tried to imagine a logo and a motto which seemed appropriate for the spirit of my idea,

Connected to Europe

Despite what could be thought, the motivating factor was not technology, but a view of sustainable life, development models which could lead to a marked improvement of welfare in Europe.

I don’t talk of this subject by hearsay, but from experience. I am 39 years old, and I work on information and communication technologies, in general on “network” technologies applied to people’s life; I had proof of how those technologies can markedly improve the quality of existence in the respect of diversity.

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Broadband for Internet: is the European technological neutrality still justified?

News such as the following confirm my absolute confidence that it is high time Europe, with regard to the decisions about the development of broadband, depart from the “politically correct” principle of technological neutrality for a more open, effective indication of the fiber optic as a prior technology to be used, setting the minimum band and quality service levels as well.

But here are the news:

28/01/2009 (European Commission source)
€ 5 billion new investment in energy and Internet broadband infrastructure

As part of the ongoing implementation of the EU recovery plan endorsed by the European Council in December 2008, the European Commission has today presented proposals to invest in key energy and Internet broadband infrastructure projects. These will deliver a much needed stimulus to the EU economy in the short term, while at the same time targeting strategic goals such as energy security. All Member States will benefit from the package of measures.
…
For broadband, the Commission proposes to target € 1 bn to extend and upgrade high-speed internet in rural communities. This money will be targeted via the existing EU’s Rural Development Fund to cover the “white spots” on Europe’s broadband map (30% of the population in rural areas who do not have broadband access).

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