A survey of Network Neutrality regulations worldwide

Abstract

The principle of Network Neutrality (NN) has been debated around the world for nearly two decades. NN states that all traffic in the Internet must be treated equally, regardless of content, origin and/or destination. The main motivation for this principle is to protect fair competition, innovation, and ensure freedom of choice for consumers. The global debate revolves around whether NN should be enforced through regulations or not, as well as the potential impact of such regulations – or lack thereof – on the telecommunications market. In this context, multiple governments worldwide have already implemented NN regulations. In this work, we give an overview of NN regulations in 50 countries across five continents. We first give a brief introduction to the NN global debate. Then, we describe some of the main aspects related to the regulatory process of each country/region. Finally, we compare the different regulations according to common and divergent features identified.