13 Amendments of Ioannis A. TSOUKALAS related to 2013/0309(COD)
Amendment 166 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) A truly single market for electronic communications should promote competition, investment and innovation in new and enhanced networks and services by fostering market integration and cross- border service offerings. It should thus help to achieve the ambitious, and even surpass, the high- speed broadband targets set out in the DAE. The growing availability of digital infrastructures and services should in turn increase consumer choice, quality of service and diversity of content, and contribute to territorial and social cohesion, as well as facilitating mobility across the Union.
Amendment 168 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) The benefits arising from a single market for electronic communications should extend to the wider digital ecosystem that includes Union equipment manufacturers, content and application providers and the wider economy, covering sectors such as banking, automotive, logistics, retail, energy and transport, which rely on connectivity to enhance their productivity through, for example, ubiquitous cloud applications, connected objects and possibilities for integrated service provision for different parts of the company. Public administrations and the health sector should also benefit from a wider availability of e-government and e- health services. The offer of cultural and educational content and services, and cultural diversity in general, may be also enhanced in a single market for electronic communications. The provision of connectivity through electronic communications networks and services is of such importance to the wider economy and society that unjustified sector-specific burdens, whether regulatory or otherwise, should be avoided.
Amendment 211 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 25
Recital 25
(25) Considering the massive growth in radio spectrum demand for wireless broadband, solutions for alternative spectrally efficient access to wireless broadband should be actively promoted. This includes the use of low-power wireless access systems with a small-area operating range such as so called ‘hotspots’ of radio local area networks (RLAN, also known as ‘Wi-Fi’), as well as networks of low-power small size cellular access points (also called femto-, pico- or metrocells). Furthermore, dynamic spectrum access and other innovative technologies and uses of spectrum should be promoted.
Amendment 257 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 47
Recital 47
(47) In an open internet, providers of electronic communications to the public should, within contractually agreed limits on data volumes and speeds for internet access services, not block, slow down, degrade or discriminate against specific content, applications or services or specific classes thereof except for a limited number of reasonable traffic management measures. Such measures should be relevant, transparent, proportionate and non- discriminatory. Reasonable traffic management encompasses prevention or impediment of serious crimes, including voluntary actions of providers to prevent access to and distribution of child pornography. M and should be in accordance with existing laws including, inter alia, privacy and data protection. Preserving the integrity and security of the network and minimising the effects of network congestion through traffic management measures should be considered reasonable provided that network congestionit occurs only temporarily or in exceptional circumstances.
Amendment 270 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 49
Recital 49
(49) There is also end-user demand for services and applications requiring an enhanced level of assured service quality offered by providers of electronic communications to the public or by content, applications or service providers. Such services may comprise inter alia broadcasting via Internet Protocol (IP-TV), video-conferencing and certain health applications. End-users should therefore also be free to conclude agreements on the provision of specialised services with an enhanced quality of service with either providers of electronic communications to the public or providers of content, applications or services. Take-up by end- users or by providers of content, applications and services of commercial offers for specialised services should be on a voluntary and non-discriminatory basis.
Amendment 288 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 62
Recital 62
(62) In order to take full advantage of the competitive environment, end-users should be able to make informed choices and switch providers when it is in their interests. End-users should therefore be able to switch without being hindered by legal, technical or procedural obstacles, including contractual conditions and charges. Number portability is a key facilitator of consumer choice and effective competition. It should be implemented within a minimum delay so that the number is effectively activated within one working day of concluding an agreement to port a number. Settlement of outstanding bills should not be a condition for execution of a porting request. Furthermore, options for cross-border number portability, in case of relocation to other parts of the EU, should be examined.
Amendment 477 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point b
Article 12 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point b
(b) determine a minimum duration for the rights granted in the harmonised bands; which will be appropriate to incentivise and speed up investment, innovation and competition, and discourage the under- use or ‘hoarding’ of spectrum by licence holders.
Amendment 588 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 23 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Article 23 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
End-users shall be free to access and distribute information and content, run applications and use services and devices of their choice via their internet access service.
Amendment 616 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 23 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
Article 23 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
In order to enable the provision of specialised services to end-users, providers of content, applications and services and providers of electronic communications to the public shall be free to enter into agreements with each other to transmit the related data volumes or traffic as specialised services with a defined quality of service or dedicated capacity. The provision of specialised services shall not impair in a recurring or continuous manner the general quality of internet access services. Take-up by end-users or by providers of content, applications and services of commercial offers for specialised services should be on a voluntary and non-discriminatory basis.
Amendment 634 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 23 – paragraph 5 – subparagraph 1 – introductory part
Article 23 – paragraph 5 – subparagraph 1 – introductory part
Within the limits of any contractually agreed data volumes or speeds for internet access services, providers of internet access services shall not restrict the freedoms provided for in paragraph 1 by blocking, slowing down, degrading or discriminating against specific content, applications or services, or specific classes thereof, except in cases where it is necessary to apply reasonable traffic management measures. These measures should be shown to comply with the general criteria of relevance, proportionality, efficiency, non-discrimination between parties and transparency, and in accordance with existing laws, including inter alia, privacy and data protection. Reasonable traffic management measures shall be transparent, non-discriminatory, proportionate and necessary to:
Amendment 688 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 24 – paragraph 1
Article 24 – paragraph 1
1. NThe European Commission and national regulatory authorities shall closely monitor and ensure the effective ability of end-users to benefit from the freedoms provided for in Article 23 (1) and (2), compliance with Article 23 (5), and the continued broad availability of non- discriminatory internet access services at levels of quality that reflect advances in technology and that are not impaired by specialised services. TheyActual Internet speeds and quality of service for individual applications, for types of applications as well as for specialised services should be monitored and tested on an ongoing basis and the findings of this monitoring should be made publicly available. The European Commission and national regulatory authorities shall, in cooperation with other competent national authorities, also monitor the effects of specialised services on cultural diversity and innovation. National regulatory authorities shall report on an annual basis to the Commission and BEREC on their monitoring and findings.
Amendment 723 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 26 – paragraph 3
Article 26 – paragraph 3
3. The information referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 shall be provided in a clear, comprehensive and easily accessible manner and in an official language of the end-user's Member State of residence, and shall be updated regularly. It shall form an integral part of the contract and shall not be altered unless the contracting parties expressly agree otherwise. The end-user shall receive a copy of the contract in writing. Member States may maintain or introduce in their national law language requirements regarding the contractual information, so as to ensure that such information is easily understood by the consumer or other end-user.
Amendment 727 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 27 – paragraph 1
Article 27 – paragraph 1
1. Providers of electronic communications to the public shall offer end-users the opportunity to opt, free of charge, for a facility which provides information on the accumulated consumption of different electronic communications services expressed in the currency in which the end- user is billed, as well as allows them to control their usage of data services. Such a facility shall guarantee that, without the end-user's consent, the accumulated expenditure over a specified period of use does not exceed a specified financial limit set by the end- user.