BEREC events 2016

The 26th BEREC and BEREC Office Management Committee plenary meetings took place on 25 and 26 February 2016 in Rotterdam (The Netherlands), kindly hosted by the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM).

During the plenary Board of Regulators adopted a report on OTT services, and one on enabling the Internet of Things. Both reports followed a public consultation in late 2015, and both will serve as BEREC inputs into the Commission’s review of the regulatory framework for electronic communications (in addition to BEREC’s opinion on the review, published in December 2015). BEREC adopted guidance for operators and regulators on the application of the new international roaming rules adopted last year in the Telecoms Single Market Regulation. BEREC also adopted an analysis of the wholesale roaming market, which will inform the European Commission’s review and proposals for new wholesale roaming price caps.

The Plenary meeting was preceded by a workshop focused on the development of guidelines on the implementation of the net neutrality rules in the Telecoms Single Market Regulation, which BEREC is required to produce by 30 August 2016. The workshop provided the opportunity for BEREC to hear from high-level academic, legal and technical experts in the field of net neutrality. Discussions centred around the extent to which different commercial practices (including zero-rating) are consistent with the new rules, permissible traffic management, the role and nature of specialised services, and how regulators should assess the quality of Internet Access Services.

BEREC intends to publish draft guidelines for public consultation following its second Plenary meeting on 2-3 June 2016.