197 lines
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HTML
197 lines
10 KiB
HTML
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
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<html newsdate="2022-12-15">
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<version>1</version>
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<head>
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<title>Router Freedom: Belgium on the right way to protect end-users</title>
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</head>
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<body>
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<h1 id="router-freedom-belgium-on-the-right-way-to-protect-end-users">Router Freedom: Belgium on the right way to protect end-users</h1>
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<p>
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The Belgian regulator BIPT has decided to safeguard Router Freedom
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for all connection types, including optical fiber (FTTx). The FSFE
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engaged in the public consultation urging policy makers to make this
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right a reality, and to improve monitoring over ISP practices.
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</p>
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<p>
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Since 2018, EU countries have been reforming their telecommunications
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law, passing new rules concerning network infrastructure and internet
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devices, including authority over routers and modems. This process
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has been long and fragmented, leading to diverse outcomes that in
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some cases <a href="/news/2021/news-20210805-01.html">benefit
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end-users</a>, but in others represent a <a href="/news/2021/news-20211027-01.html">serious threat</a> against
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the right to choose and use personal routers/modems. In November
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2022, the Belgian the telecom regulator BIPT <a href="https://www.bipt.be/operatoren/publication/raadpleging-over-een-ontwerpbesluit-betreffende-de-identificering-van-het-netwerkaansluitpunt-voor-de-breedbanddiensten-en-tv-diensten">drafted
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a regulatory framework</a> for consolidating <a href="/activities/routers/routers.html">Router Freedom</a> in the
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country. The FSFE welcomed the bold step and urged the policy maker
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to translate this right into reality by upscaling monitoring over
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internet service providers’ (ISP) practices against end-users.
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</p>
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<h3 id="belgian-proposal-checked-all-boxes">Belgian proposal checked all boxes</h3>
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<p>
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The FSFE acknowledged BIPT’s regulatory proposal as a solution with a
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high potential to consolidate Router Freedom for end-users. BIPT
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plans to set the <a href="/news/2020/news-20200601-01.html">location
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of the “network termination point” at Point A</a> for all types of
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internet connections, including optical fiber. This choice of
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position translates into Router Freedom, meaning that end-users will
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be able to choose and use their own equipment. BIPT’s decision
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represents a benefit for end-users by clearly defining the boundaries
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of private and public networks – which have direct impact on the
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provision of internet services.
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</p>
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<figure>
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<img src="https://pics.fsfe.org/uploads/medium/9f/ec/5ea9fb812fdccd5e90966ebe309f.png"
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alt="a phone socket and a router show where the network
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termination point can be set. The network termination point
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should be the passive physical point. Socket, passive point.
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Text: Public communication network. Domain of the ISP. ISP owns
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the equipment. Router. Text: Private network of the end-user.
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Domain of the end user. End-user owns the equipment."/>
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<figcaption>
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BIPT plans to set the NTP in a position that will guarantee Router Freedom
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</figcaption>
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</figure>
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<p>
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BIPT delivered a balanced document, providing an in-depth analysis of
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the technological criteria that the EU legislation allows decision
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makers to use to limit Router Freedom. The Belgian regulator took an
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exemplary position confirming FSFE’s longstanding position that no
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technological reason was identified as a significant threat to the
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public network’s security or integrity in Belgium or any other
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country that safeguarded Router Freedom.
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</p>
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<p>
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The FSFE agrees with the conclusions achieved by BIPT that Router
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Freedom has not led to a substantial reduction in the quality of
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service for end-users. We have been <a href="https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/router-freedom-tracker_581123#4/53.09/18.37">monitoring
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the regulatory panorama</a> in Europe and confirmed that the
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experiences in Finland, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands serve as
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positive examples that devices chosen by end-users do not cause
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damage for network operators or end-users.
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</p>
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<p>
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Most importantly, BIPT’s position encompasses all fixed network
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topologies, including optical fiber networks (FTTx), allowing
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end-users to deploy their own private equipment without the necessity
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of a media converter or upstream provider modem from ISPs. This is a
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major win for consumer protection, raising the bar for other
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countries to follow this example, mostly because other regulators
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have explicitly decided to <a href="/news/2022/news-20220628-01.html">exclude Router Freedom from
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fiber networks</a>.
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</p>
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<p>
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The FSFE took part in the consultation (<a href="https://download.fsfe.org/routers/fsfe-bipt-ntp-en.pdf">EN</a>)(<a href="https://download.fsfe.org/routers/fsfe-bipt-ntp-nl.pdf">NL</a>),
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and backed up BIPT’s solution by arguing that for reasons of freedom
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of choice, privacy and data protection, interoperability, fair
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competition, and security, end-users must have the possibility to use
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their own routers/modems. We also demonstrated how Router Freedom is
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a valuable factor for digital sustainability.
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</p>
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<figure>
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<img src="https://pics.fsfe.org/uploads/medium/400402c99ad11297aee04454a16c8a61.jpg" alt= "Person giving a talk with the presentation saying Router Freedom is already a reality in several EU countries"/>
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<figcaption>
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BIPT’s regulatory solution may serve as good example for other EU countries to follow
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</figcaption>
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</figure>
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<h3 id="making-router-freedom-a-reality">Making Router Freedom a reality</h3>
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<p>
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Setting the position of the NTP and allowing end-users to use their
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routers/modems is not enough for effectively implementing Router
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Freedom. Based on our experience and the reports we have received
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over the years from the community, we highlighted to BIPT that more
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than being a technical issue, freedom of terminal equipment
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represents a policy demand and requires constant monitoring of ISPs’
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commercial practices. End-user reports relate to ISPs’ practices that
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jeopardize this freedom, especially when:
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</p>
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<ul>
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<li>Customers are forbidden to use their equipment by contract or ISPs impose disproportional disadvantages to users with private router;</li>
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<li>ISPs do not inform customers about their rights regarding terminal equipment or manipulate users through their customer service in favour of the ISP’s routers;</li>
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<li>ISPs advertise their routers as the only ones compatible with the network, or use non-standard plugs or proprietary protocols;</li>
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<li>ISPs do not provide users the login data to the public network or make no support available to customers.</li>
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<li>ISPs do not offer the same level of service (e.g. IPv6, bandwidth, etc) for customers using their own router.</li>
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</ul>
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<h3 id="community-support-was-key">Community support was key</h3>
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<p>
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The FSFE’s engagement in the consultation process was empowered by a
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network of supporters, volunteers, and supporting organisations in
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Belgium. Our Router Freedom <a href="https://survey.fsfe.org/index.php/628449">survey</a> counted
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valuable insights and feedback from 260 participants (from the 1036
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who reported their country of residence). The responses helped us to
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understand better the issues end-users suffer in relation to their
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ISPs. Survey responses were especially important for issues regarding
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fiber networks and the respective optical equipment imposed by
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network operators. Besides, the <a href="https://wiki.fsfe.org/LocalGroups/BNL">FSFE Benelux team</a>
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proactively fostered exchange with supporting organisations that were
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sensitive to the cause, providing feedback and dedicating efforts for
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submitting their position to the regulator, including the industry
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representative <a href="https://vtke.eu/">VTKE</a>, the consumer
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organisation <a href="https://www.test-achats.be/">Test Achats</a>,
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the privacy group <a href="https://ministryofprivacy.eu/">Ministry of
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Privacy</a>, and the network association <a href="https://neutrinet.be/en">Neutrinet</a>.
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</p>
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<figure>
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<img src="https://pics.fsfe.org/uploads/medium/a61362c7d81161d3c48bffb1a08e37c3.jpg"
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alt="A summer camp with blue and white tends over green grass. In the middle five people pose smiling in front of an FSFE tent."/>
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<figcaption>
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Community engagement pays off. Our engagement with regulators is
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fostered by supporters, volunteers and partner organisations. Get
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your <a href="https://download.fsfe.org/routers/fsfe-router-freedom-activity-summary.pdf">activity
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package</a> right now and join us!
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</figcaption>
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</figure>
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<h3 id="the-router-freedom-initiative">The Router Freedom initiative</h3>
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<p>
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<a href="/activities/routers/routers.html">Router Freedom</a> is the
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right that consumers of any ISP have to be able to choose and use a
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private modem and router instead of equipment that the ISP provides.
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Since 2013, the Free Software Foundation Europe has been successfully
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engaged with Router Freedom, promoting end-users’ freedom in many
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European countries. Join us and learn more about the several ways to
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<a href="/news/2021/news-20210330-01.html">get involved</a>. <a href="https://my.fsfe.org/donate">Please consider becoming a FSFE
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donor</a>; you help make possible our long-term engagement and
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professional commitment in defending people’s rights to control
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technology.
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</p>
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</body>
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<tags>
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<tag key="front-page"/>
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<tag key="routers">Router Freedom</tag>
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<tag key="be">Belgium</tag>
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</tags>
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<discussion href="https://community.fsfe.org/t/951"/>
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<image url="https://pics.fsfe.org/uploads/medium/9f/ec/5ea9fb812fdccd5e90966ebe309f.png"
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alt="a phone socket and a router show where the network
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termination point can be set. The network termination point
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should be the passive physical point. Socket, passive point.
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Text: Public communication network. Domain of the ISP. ISP owns
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the equipment. Router. Text: Private network of the end-user.
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Domain of the end user. End-user owns the equipment."/>
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</html>
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