Open_Internet_Code_of_Practice_25_Jul_2012英文版本.pdfVIP

OPEN INTERNET CODE OF PRACTICE: VOLUNTARY CODE OF PRACTICE SUPPORTING ACCESS TO LEGAL SERVICES AND SAFEGUARDING AGAINST NEGATIVE DISCRIMINATION ON THE OPEN INTERNET Introduction This voluntary code of practice puts forward a set of commitments agreed by signatories in support of the open internet. They were developed by signatories following discussions with government, the regulator, industry and broader stakeholders and building on Communications Minister Ed Vaizey MP’s statement in 2011 that the concept of an open internet should be guided by three principles: • users should be able to access all legal content • there should be no discrimination against content providers on the basis of commercial rivalry; and • traffic management policies should be clear and transparent. This voluntary code of practice should be read in conjunction with the existing voluntary code of practice on traffic management transparency1 and the November 2011 Ofcom statement 2 on its approach to net neutrality . Background The way we use the internet is changing. The internet is increasingly being used by consumers as a means to access video based services and the uptake of these relatively high bandwidth services is in turn driving the rapid growth in overall traffic levels. Meanwhile significant investments are being made in new fixed and mobile high speed access networks which will, in turn, continue to drive traffic volumes across the internet. The potential to provide managed services that would enable a specific piece of content, service or application to be delivered without risk of degradation from network congestion is one option open for consideration by Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Such services are still at a very early