Vaizey backtracks on two-tier internet for the UK

Just as the FCC in the US pushes to make net neutrality law

Communications minister Ed Vaizey has backtracked on his Open Internet speech last week where he implied that net neutrality in the UK would not benefit British business.

His statements last week, which seemed to endorse a two-tier system with some businesses paying for faster internet services, were qualified by Vaizey in an interview with the Daily Telegraph on Saturday.

He explained that the comments in his Open Internet speech had been taken out of context, and that rather than choose not to regulate, the government will act when necessary.

He told the paper that his overriding priority is "an open internet where consumers have access to all legal content". He added that if this changed and that consumer interests were at risk, "we would seek to intervene".

"We are not saying that one ISP should be able to prioritise one provider's content over another, and I don't support the commercial decision to downgrade a rival's site," he added.

Net neutrality means all internet traffic is treated equally with respect to quality of service (QoS), which in turn means traffic is not filtered and does not have its normal speed reduced or increased by ISPs.

The most reported passage from Vaizey's Open Internet speech was one in which he referred to the possible evolution of "a two-tier market" where consumers and content providers could "choose to pay for differing levels of quality of service".

He also made reference to the fact that a lightly regulated internet would be good for business.

In the US, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is to enshrine net neutrality in law, despite fierce opposition from Republicans in Congress. The FCC is expected to announce plans this week to stop ISPs from either favouring or blocking online content.

FCC commissioner Michael J Copps, who was speaking at a public hearing in New Mexico on the the future of the internet, said: "Our job now is to reclassify broadband as the telecommunications service that it is – you know, actually call an apple an apple. This will allow us to protect consumers against discrimination and a privatised internet."

The net neutrality legislation, which was promised by President Obama during his presidential campaign, is likely to become law in mid-December.