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