Slovenia Not Happy with EU Net Neutrality Proposal

Ljubljana, 1 July - The end of EU negotiations on net neutrality has not been met with excitement in Slovenia, with its opponents pointing to inconsistencies that could be exploited to the detriment of internet users.

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Vir: STA.

Another win for net neutrality advocates in Slovenia: AKOS issues new decisions limiting zero-rating

Friday’s decisions on net neutrality issued by AKOS are another big win in a row for Slovenian citizens and net neutrality advocates. In the new decisions AKOS bans a zero-rated mobile TV service and web portal provided by AMIS (Mobia TV) and Tušmobil (Tuškamra), respectively. Following the previous two decisions, issued four weeks ago, the latest decisions further bolster net neutrality and limit zero-rating practices of mobile network and virtual network operators.

Telekom Slovenije and Si.mobil found in breach of net neutrality

It is now official that Slovenia’s largest mobile network operators Telekom Slovenije and Si.mobil have breached net neutrality. A national sector regulator AKOS announced its decisions on Friday. Both operators confirmed to have received the decisions ordering them within 60 days to stop discriminating against internet traffic by music streaming service Deezer (Telekom Slovenije) and cloud storage service Hanger Mapa (Si.mobil). The decisions are final and only an administrative dispute or extraordinary judicial review are allowed.

Market Leaders Found in Breach of Net Neutrality

Ljubljana, 23 January - The Slovenian electronic communications market regulator has found telecommunications providers Telekom Slovenije and Simobil in breach of internet neutrality because of unequal treatment of data traffic offered to their users.  

Chairman of Electronic Communications Council: ‟In time consumers will have a better choice of music and video services, while mobile internet prices will gradually start dropping.‟

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Vir: STA.

Zero-rating: Slovenian regulator exposed to excessive pressure

Interview with Dusan Caf, Chairman of the Slovenian Electronic Communications Council

By  Nathalie Steiwer  •  05 January 2015

Slovenia is one of two EU member states - along with the Netherlands - which has adopted legislation on net neutrality. How is this legislation applied?

A text was adopted in 2012 and entered into force in January 2013. Thus far, the regulator has not intervened, saying that there has not been any violation of the rules. The problem is that the regulator comes from he industry - and shares its point of view. The pressure is even greater since the State is currently selling its 73% share in Telekom Slovenije.

In your blog you criticise the regulator’s lack of reaction to ‘zero rating’ - what is the problem here?

At the end of 2013, Slovenian operators launched offers that gave their subscribers unlimited access to certain internet services which are not included in their monthly data limit. Telekom Slovenije, for example, offered subscribers unlimited access to video services  ... continue reading → 

Zero-Rating Violates Slovenian Net Neutrality Law

In late 2013 Telekom Slovenije offered zero-rated content and services as part of its mobile data plans, where specific types of traffic were exempted from data caps and could be used without any volume limits (or the limits were significantly higher than those of the data caps). Its offer included HBO GO and UEFA Champions League video streaming services, as well as its own cloud data storage service (TViN Shramba). A few months later the operator expanded the offer with a popular music streaming service Deezer. 

The competition authority and sector regulator seem to believe that Telekom with its zero-rated offers has not breached net neutrality and competition laws. In contrast, our analysis reveals that zero-rated content, services or applications provided or used via internet access services have been forbidden since January 2013. 

A timeline of Slovenian 4G spectrum assignment process

Slovenian lawmakers adopted a decision to assign frequencies in the 800 MHz band, a so called digital dividend, for mobile broadband in 2007. They were ambitious and wanted to launch mobile broadband services in the 800 MHz band already in 2011. Six years later and more than seven years after the adoption of the underlying strategy, we are still far from assigning frequencies. We have not got even a complete mobile auction information memorandum. The Slovenian National Regulatory Authority (NRA) requires changes in auctioning provisions of the recently adopted Electronic Communications Act, which may lead to further delays.

Europe needs a coherent and coordinated radio spectrum policy

The mobile broadband has become the most dynamic ICT market and much more important than the underlying technology. It has a transformational impact, driving far-reaching social and economic transformations through new services and changes in consumer habits. It is changing the way we live and work. Europe was once a leader in mobile communications, but has in recent years fallen behind South Korea, Japan, Australia and United States, where markets now enjoy much higher penetration rates of 4G mobile broadband communications than in Europe.