It seems ‘network neutrality’ argument will heat the worldwide Information Communication Technology (ICT) market again

There has been complaint about platform operators such as online video service (OTT) in the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017, the world``s largest mobile technology exhibition, opened on February 27.

The start of the argument was a board meeting of the World Telecommunication Operators`` Association (GSMA) in Barcelona a day before the opening of the MWC last month. At the meeting, condemns were went towards platform operators such as Google, Facebook and Netflix. It has been pointed out that platform vendors are turning to ecosystem co-prosperity while gaining undue profits without investing in networks. CEO of SK Telecom, Park Jeong Ho, who attended the meeting as a member of the board of directors, stated, ‘The growth of telecommunication companies`` capital investment has come to an end throughout the board meeting of the GSMA board through OTT and platform operators. He insisted, ‘Beyond buying, selling and profiting content, it is necessary to share the mistakes together.’

The ``Network neutrality`` means that a network operator cannot differentiate against contents transmitted to the Internet. It has been a constant controversy in the worldwide ICT industry as Google, Facebook, and many other global Internet companies have been arguing the network neutrality in the United States. Tom Wheeler, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of the US Obama administration, has been calling it open Internet rules.’ Unlike the controversy of ``network neutrality`` in the past, when a telecom company and an Internet company were fighting, the complaints are not only among telecom companies but also between content producers and handset makers.

CEO Mr. Park said, ‘Recently there were complaints among media content providers. The reason is that the media providers made the content very hard, but the OTT made all the money``. He mentioned, ‘In reality, there are many content providers who are frustrated when digital advertising cost statistics announced.’


The new director of the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Ajit Pai, suggested in a keynote address to the MWC that the deregulation of ‘net neutrality’ easing. It is argued that the principle of network neutrality shrinks the investment of internet providers. Unlike the Obama administration, the Trump administration is negative about network neutrality. Ajit Pai is also considered as a representative oppositionist of the network neutrality.

Ajit Pai, in the MWC``s keynote speech on February 28 said, ‘The rules established in 2015 (meaning the principle of network neutrality) are mistakes. He also added ‘We are pushing for light regulation for the growth of the US digital economy.’ He exemplified the resurgence of an unlimited data plan that was abolished by four US carriers after allowing ‘zero-ratings,’ a cost burden on content providers to pay for data traffic on the grounds that light regulation is effective. In the field of MWC, various voices against network neutrality are projected to intensify and it is expected that the global ICT industry debate will intensify.

Barcelona (Spain)=By Jong Yoon Hee yuni@dt.co.kr


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