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In an attempt to stimulate innovation around broadband, Ofcom, the UK telecommunications regulator, has adjusted its net neutrality rules. The revised guidance now permits operators to present tiered services that can be differentiated by factors such as latency, not solely throughput. This alteration means general users like Netflix viewers or cloud storage consumers can opt for cost-effective entry-level tariffs, while individuals requiring more broadband responsiveness for applications like gaming or Virtual Reality (VR) can pay extra for a lower-latency service.

Furthermore, under the revised guidelines, operators are also granted the opportunity to create ‘specialised services’. These allow Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to manipulate network performance to deliver specific content and applications such as real-time communications and VR optimally. This aspect of regulation could pave the way for future implementations such as network slicing and multi-access edge computing (MEC).

As far as traffic management is concerned, Ofcom has made provisions for operators to take necessary action to manage various categories of traffic differently based on their technical requirements, in order to provide a good quality of service. Operators can now also exceed these measures for the purpose of preventing impending network congestion, which might mean throttling certain traffic categories. Transparency about these traffic management practices, however, is emphasised by Ofcom.

An interesting aspect of the new guidance is the allowance of zero-rating: the practice of providing unrestricted access to specific online services and applications. Although Ofcom agrees to this, it has included some conditions to alleviate concerns about its rules enabling operators to bias the online economy. For instance, zero-rating particular traffic classes, such as streaming content or social media, is allowed, but not those originating from individual service providers.

“We want to make sure that net neutrality continues to support innovation and investment, by content providers as well as broadband and mobile companies,” Ofcom mentioned, “Getting this balance right will improve consumers’ experiences online, including through innovative new services and increased choice.”

The guidelines carry forward what Ofcom had proposed last year when it initiated its net neutrality consultation. However, a controversial point still stands in terms of telcos charging content companies for data traffic carriage.

It seems like Ofcom continues to stand its ground citing, “A charging regime would be a significant step and we have not seen sufficient evidence that such an approach would support our objectives.”, disregarding the continued lobbying from telcos for a ‘fair contribution’ from technology giants for infrastructure deployment costs.

Despite Ofcom’s position, operators will likely pursue a fair contribution approach, as the introduction of a charging regime in the UK falls under government and parliament jurisdiction, necessitating constant lobbying efforts. Hence, the telecommunications industry should brace for more lobbying, while also exploring opportunities this revised stance on net neutrality brings.

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