Jan Gulliksen comments on the United States decision to abolish net neutrality
Hi there, Jan Gulliksen, Professor of Human Computer Interaction and Vice-president of Digitization at KTH. The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently decided to remove the regulations saying that broadband providers must treat all traffic on the internet equally regardless of sender, receiver, platform or content. You are Vice President of Digitalization at KTH and Digital Champion for Sweden within the EU. What are your views on this decision?
“It is important to give all users equal access to the Internet and to ensure that we have an online capacity that enables such fair use.”
What does this decision mean?
“To decide, as the FCC has done, to remove the requirement for equivalent use removes an important foundation for the internet which, as I see it, becomes problematic.”
Does the decision affect the network neutrality and digitalization in Sweden and Europe?
“The removal of the regulations in the United States may have spreading effects, but I hope that EU and Sweden still can safeguard a neutral Internet usage.”
The Swedish Post and Telecom Authority’s position is that the US decision does not affect Swedish net neutrality - at least not in the short term.
Read more in an article in Ny Teknik (in Swedish).
Håkan Soold (translation by Jenny Dahlerus)