The concept of an open and equal internet for everyone, known as network (or net) neutrality, has been a topic of longstanding debate. But recently, it has been reported that South Korea and the European Union, in particular, are on the verge of striking down net neutrality, which is likely to cause other countries to revisit their stance on the issue. Former telecoms/ICT regulator, Embert Charles, and tech expert, Trevor Forrest, discuss whether Caribbean countries should adopt a similar stance to that which seems to be emerging in other jurisdictions.
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Under the current construct for internet access and use in the Caribbean region, to a considerable degree, we do not know how much internet bandwidth we consume on a daily or monthly basis, or when accessing specific applications or platforms. Moreover, we can access any website we choose and Internet Service Providers are not throttling or otherwise de-prioritising content from certain websites in favour of others.
This concept of an equal and open internet for everyone, regardless of device, application or platform used and content consumed is termed network (or net) neutrality, and it has been one of the fundamental principles underpinning the internet we enjoy today. However, over the past decade or so, net neutrality has increasingly been challenged, which has resulted in regular debates on the issue.
Currently, it could be argued that the net neutrality principle is becoming tenuous, as countries such as the United States, South Korea and those in the European Union (EU) are all reviewing their posture on net neutrality, and the South Korean Parliament is reportedly on the verge of striking it down.
If this precedent is set, it may more difficult to maintain the current principle of equitable access to the internet, and it could result in, at the very least, the major content generators such as Google, Meta, Netflix, Apple, Amazon and Microsoft, being required to pay telecoms network operators to have their content delivered to end-users. Additionally, it may mean that we, the end-users – even here in the Caribbean – may have to pay (more) to access certain types of content on the internet.
As worrying as this might be, in this podcast episode, we unpack the issues to better understand the possible implications and discuss how best to navigate this net neutrality in the Caribbean context.
Introducing our guests
Embert Charles is an experienced development communication specialist with expertise in electronic communications, media policy and regulations. He has held senior managerial and leadership positions in the region, including Managing Director of the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (ECTEL) and Communications and Public Awareness Consultant for the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). He served previously as Executive Director of the Folk Research Centre (FRC) and Director of Information Services with the government of Saint Lucia.
Embert has over four decades of engagement with Caribbean grassroots organisations in the areas of nation language and culture, community empowerment, communications and sustainable development. Organisation memberships include the Msgr. Patrick Anthony Folk Research Centre (FRC), the Saint Lucia National Trust (SLNT) and the World Association for Christian Communications (WACC). His published works focus on communications, telecommunications, media development and culture. He holds a Master’s Degree in Telecommunications Regulation and Policy from the University of the West Indies, and an MPhil in Development Studies from the University of Sussex, United Kingdom.
Trevor Forrest is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of 876 Solutions, a managed technology service provider headquartered in Jamaica, which offers among other things, cloud hosting, document management, web hosting services, as well as internet security assessments. Trevor has over 25 years of experience in the ICT industry with expertise in areas such as web design and development, e-commerce, big data, network/cyber security and blockchain technology. Through the Blockchain Council, which is one of the top organisations for blockchain training and certification, Trevor is also a Certified Blockchain Architect.
Trevor is a sought-after speaker and tech expert. He has been an Advisor to the Government of Jamaica and has served on numerous ICT committees and boards, including the Spectrum Management Authority, eLearning Jamaica Limited and the Universal Service Fund, to name a few.
Insights into our conversation
With so much of our personal and professional lives revolving around having access to and use of the internet, net neutrality is an issue that is deserving of our attention. Further, we tend to see open and equal internet access as a right – where are in control of the services and content we access, and no other party has introduced any sort of bias that affects how certain content or services are delivered.
Although we might want to hold on to the principle of a fair and open internet, the reality is that many countries are revisiting this principle. To a considerable degree, the impetus for this re-examination include: the current value of the internet, the fact that telecoms companies want greater compensation for providing access, and that governments are eager to unlock the revenue that could be generated.
However, and although net neutrality is likely to be struck down in South Korea, the EU and even in the United States, countries ought to consider and to come to their own position on net neutrality. It thus means that countries must be clear on the principles and benefits that they wish to foster, as there is likely to be considerable opposition regardless of the side that is chosen.
Below are some of the questions posed to Embert and Trevor during our conversation.
- What is net neutrality and why it has been important?
- Should countries, such as South Korea, strike down net neutrality, how might that affect us in the Caribbean?
- Could the need to generate more taxes justify a relaxing of net neutrality rules on the Caribbean region?
- Are there any technical and/or regulatory issues of which we need to be aware?
- What might be important considerations should Caribbean countries wish to maintain net neutrality?
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Select links
Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that either were mentioned during the episode or otherwise, might be useful:
- Trevor Forrest
- 876 Technology Solutions
- Asian Boss video, Why You May Never See Another Baby Shark or BTS From South Korea (Death of Net Neutrality)
- Financial Times article, Campaign to make Big Tech pay for telecoms networks gathers pace
- Wired article, Europe Prepares to Rewrite the Rules of the Internet
- ICT Pulse Podcast episode, ICT 040: Regulating net neutrality and over the top services with Stephen Bereaux of the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority
- ICT Pulse article, If net neutrality is cancelled in the US, what could it mean for the Caribbean?
- ICT Pulse article, Will dismantling net neutrality benefit the Caribbean as Digicel says it will?
Images credit: T Forrest; E Charles; Tim Carter (flickr); Đức Trịnh (Unsplash); mdavidford (flickr)
Music credit: The Last Word (Oui Ma Chérie), by Andy Narrell
Podcast editing support: Mayra Bonilla Lopez
