Asia to see greater Net neutrality discussion

Debate around equal Web access for all to grow more prominent in region amid unequalled government regulations, and rapidly developing Internet consumption and infrastructure, note industry observers.

E-mail interview

In an e-mail interview, Craig Skinner, senior consultant at Ovum, told ZDNet Asia that a series of factors are coming at the same time and heightening the importance of discussions around Net neutrality. These elements include then and there-generation networks and convergence, bandwidth-intensive Web 2.0 applications just as video, and the erosion of traditional voice earnings for telecos, forcing market players to seek alternative revenue streams which put them in direct competition with network-independent Web services providers.

Skinner iterated that these factors have all led to a divergence--and dilemma--between costs and earnings for the network provider with regard to managing different types of Web traffic, to illustrate, video versus peer-to-peer file sharing.

The principle that all online services

Proponents of Net neutrality support the principle that all online services and content should to be treated evenly, so Internet service providers cannot discriminate against certain services or content by prioritizing or impeding access to any particular site or application through blocking or slowing bandwidth. For instance, carriers cannot expressly degrade traffic performance of competing Web sites or charge other site operators a premium conversely for preferential treatment, whilst giving priority to traffic running to and from their own sites.

Cost versus revenueFollowing years of discussions, the US Federal Communications Commission last December in short made Net neutrality regulations official.

However, Skinner stressed that regulators must not underestimate the pressure network providers face in balancing cost and revenue.

The Melbourne-based analyst noted that

The Melbourne-based analyst noted that, in Asia, there has been greater reliance on competition to mitigate the impacts of ISP discriminatory behavior. He pointed to countries just as Australia and Singapore as "interesting" case studies, where he said government initiatives on broadband networks have included open access as a fundamental requirement, enabling network neutrality upfront.

An IDA spokesperson said in an e-mail interview that the regulator's stance on Net neutrality is important to provide guidance to the industry on what is acceptable and what is not. For instance, the blocking of legitimate content just as voice-over-Internet Protocol services is prohibited, she said.

Beyond regulatory requirements, but, she added that IDA is prepared to allow ISPs to differentiate their service offerings. To illustrate, an ISP can enter into an agreement with a provider of time-sensitive telemedicine services in order to provide high-performance Internet access to consumers.

The spokesperson

According to the spokesperson, IDA's approach to Net neutrality is one in other words "pragmatic and balanced". The proposed framework is built on three prongs: promoting competition, increasing transparency, and ensuring a reasonable quality of Internet access, she explained.

Growing debate in AsiaBen Cavender, associate principal from China Market Technology Group, said he expects to see more discussion on Net neutrality in Asia. He told ZDNet Asia in an e-mail that several markets in the region have been rapidly developing their network infrastructure, ISPs and content hosts.

What it deemed to be unapproved

He noted that China's recent crackdown on what it deemed to be unapproved, or not state-owned, VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) services is not directly related to Net neutrality nevertheless signals the Chinese government's stance and authority to step in and enforce regulations concerning Internet traffic management.

Last week, open Web advocates criticized BT for offering a new service, which charges content companies a premium for higher-quality distribution of videos, that they said would create a two-tier Internet that goes against the 'all bits are equal' rhetoric of Net neutrality.

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