Net Neutrality and Over The Top services: a complex relationship in the telecommunications ecosystem

Abstract

If we consider the expansion of digital technologies and their penetration in all spheres of life in our contemporary societies, we can appreciate various processes of change in relation to the previous socio-technical configurations where the regulations about these technologies, especially the Internet, and the battles for imposing or repealing a regulation are fundamental to understanding many of the processes, practices and subjectivities of our contemporary societies. This paper analyzes the relationship between the debates about the services and Over The Top applications in direct connection with the debates, regulations and strategies to consolidate or repeal the Net Neutrality focusing on the different actions of the actors at stake, mainly in the USA since 2003. Net Neutrality is addressed from the battles to impose or repeal a regulation that defends and generates certain obligations and responsibilities for certain actors at stake-and not others-directly or indirectly affecting users. Likewise, OTTs are analyzed because they are the main digital spaces, platforms, applications and services existing and operating on the Internet, whose development and expansion influence and is strongly linked to the debates over Internet regulation crystallized in the Net Neutrality issue. As a result that we found, the current regulations on Network Neutrality mostly favor the OTT as privileged actors. That is why, in our conclusions we advocated for a broad norm that includes them without favoring over other actors.

Convergence and nuances of Net Neutrality in South America

“…Los servicios tradicionales (voz y video) se distribuyen sobre redes IP y el desarrollo de nuevas plataformas facilita la provisión de servicios convergentes. En los últimos años nuevos distribuidores de contenido digital, tales como los proveedores Over the Top (OTT) (por ejemplo, Video: Netflix, Amazon video y HBOGo; Audio: Spotify, Deezer; Mensajería: WhatsApp y Line), ahora coexisten y compiten con proveedores tradicionales y operadores de acceso a red, para distribuir contenido y servicios en Internet [2]. Además, un creciente número de operadores también se están enfocando en contenido móvil para ofrecer música, video o acceso a aplicaciones y servicios en línea desde dispositivos móviles.…”