141 lignes
5.6 KiB
HTML
141 lignes
5.6 KiB
HTML
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
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<html newsdate="2019-11-20">
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<version>1</version>
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<head>
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<title>Input for the BEREC's guidelines on Router Freedom in Europe</title>
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</head>
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<body>
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<h1>Input for the BEREC's guidelines on Router Freedom in Europe</h1>
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<p>
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Router Freedom is the right of customers of any Internet Service
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Provider (ISP) to choose and use a private modem and router instead
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of a router that the ISP forces them to use. The Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) drafted guidelines for national agencies how to deal with
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Router Freedom in their countries. The Free Software Foundation
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Europe (FSFE) provided mixed feedback to an ongoing public
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consulation.
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</p>
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<p>
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The status of <a href="/activities/routers">Router Freedom</a> in
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Europe differs from country to country as the <a
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href="https://wiki.fsfe.org/Activities/CompulsoryRouters/#Router_Freedom_in_Europe">monitoring
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by the FSFE</a> shows. The core of the debate is the question of
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where the Network Termination Point (NTP) is located. This defines where
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the network of the ISP ends and where the network of the user begins. If
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the modem and router are considered part of the ISP's infrastructure, a user cannot claim
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sovereignty of their communication and security.
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</p>
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<p>
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The patchwork rug of different rules may change soon as BEREC, the
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Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications, has been
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commissioned to create guidelines for the National Regulatory
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Agencies (NRAs) and help them with implementing European regulation
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in a harmonised way. <a
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href="https://download.fsfe.org/policy/routers/8821-draft-berec-guidelines-on-common-approac_0.pdf">BEREC's
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current draft of the guidelines</a> is up for public consultation
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until 21 November 2019. We analysed this draft and the EU
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Directives and Regulations it references, and provided our conclusion in a <a
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href="https://download.fsfe.org/policy/routers/20191121-BEREC-Guidelines-Consultation.pdf">brief
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document</a>.
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</p>
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In short, BEREC puts three different models forward to discussion:
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<figure>
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<img
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src="https://pics.fsfe.org/uploads/big/37c03c4a34cb2a6c58d347c0b29f0a4d.png"
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alt="Three options shared by BEREC for the location of the NTP"/>
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<figcaption>
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The three discussed options for the location of the NTP. Source: BEREC
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</figcaption>
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</figure>
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<ol>
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<li>
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The network termination point is at location A. This means that
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routers and modems are under the user's control, who can decide which
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device to use – either the one recommended and provided by the ISP
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or one by a third party. That would result in Router Freedom.
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</li>
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<li>
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The NTP is at B. This means that only the modem (so the device
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connecting to the ISP) will be part of the ISP's network, but
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routers or media boxes will be in the user's domain.
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</li>
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<li>
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The NTP is at C. That's the most restrictive option as it results
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in the modem and router or a combined device being solely under the
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control of the ISP.
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</li>
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</ol>
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<p>
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Understandably, we argued in favour of making point A the network
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termination point to establish and protect freedom of choice, privacy
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and data protection, fair competition of device manufacturers, as well as
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security. Furthermore, we made a few suggestions to improve the
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guidelines and their implementation by the National Regulatory
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Agencies:
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</p>
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<ul>
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<li>
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In this draft, the guidelines carefully weigh up the different
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possible locations for the NTP. However, it is clear from the
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arguments that only point A makes sense from a perspective of
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customers and businesses, and that no serious technological reasons
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speak against it. BEREC should take a more firm stand on this and
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discourage National Agencies from making any other choice to reduce
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a patchwork rug of different regulations.
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</li>
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<li>
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There is a whole section discussing the impact of the different NTP
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locations on ISPs and network operators, but users' necessities are
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only implied, although a EU Directive from 2008
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and a EU Regulation from 2015 clearly state that customers have to
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have Router Freedom. We ask BEREC to elaborate the
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different options also more prominently from the perspective of
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technology users.
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</li>
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</ul>
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<h2>Get active</h2>
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<p>
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You can still participate in the public consultation by just sharing
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your feedback on the draft BEREC guidelines <a
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href="https://berec.europa.eu/eng/news_consultations/ongoing_public_consultations/5912-public-consultation-on-draft-berec-guidelines-on-common-approaches-to-the-identification-of-the-network-termination-point-in-different-network-topologies">by
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sending an e-mail to them</a> <strong>before 21 November 2019 17:00
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CET</strong>. It's a short deadline, so feel free to use our <a
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href="https://download.fsfe.org/policy/routers/20191121-BEREC-Guidelines-Consultation.pdf">full
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response</a> as an inspiration.
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</p>
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<p>
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If you need more arguments in favour of Router Freedom, please read
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our <a href="/activities/routers/">summary page</a>. For individuals
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and groups who want to become even more active for Router Freedom, we
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have created an <a
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href="https://wiki.fsfe.org/Activities/CompulsoryRouters/">activity
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package</a> with more background information, experience reports of
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how the FSFE managed to turn the situation around in Germany, and
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other tips and tricks.
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</p>
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</body>
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<tags>
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<tag key="routers">Router Freedom</tag>
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<tag key="competition">Competition</tag>
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<tag key="policy">Policy</tag>
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<tag key="front-page"/>
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</tags>
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<author id="mehl" />
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</html>
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