Dr. Luca Belli on Sustainable Connectivity for the Virtual School of Internet Governance. www.virtualsig.org

2. Purpose
Our weekly Live Session is focused on an in depth discussion on the module
topic
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3. Welcome to our weekly
Session Seven:
LIVE Session
Legal
Guest Speaker
Damon Ashcraft, IPC

4. Welcome to our weekly
Session Eight:
LIVE Session
Economic
Guest Speaker
Dr. Luca Belli

5. Sustainable Connectivity
Creating Consumers or Prosumers?
VirtualSIG
Luca Belli, PhD
Professor at FGV Law School | Head of CyberBRICS
luca.belli@fgv.br | @1lucabelli
15 March 2021

6. 2
▪ internet users as prosumers
▪ net neutrality, zero rating and the
“scramble for data”
▪ alternative strategies for sustainable
connectivity: community networks
Luca Belli, PhD

7. 3
bit.ly/Minitelization

8. 4
comconnectivity.org

9. 5
bit.ly/CNlatam

10. some preliminary considerations
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Luca Belli, PhD

11. general purpose network
7
purposes for which the
Internet is used are not
predefined by the operator
BUT independently chosen
by the user

12. Internet Users
8
are NOT mere consumers
they play an active role
they are “prosumers”
(Toffler 1980)
Luca Belli, PhD

13. 9
users can freely access
AND
freely create & share any content and apps
Luca Belli, PhD

14. 10
▪ permissionless innovation
▪ unrestricted communications
▪ prosumers’ creativity shapes
the evolution of the Internet
Luca Belli, PhD

15. 11
Luca Belli, PhD

16. What is Net Neutrality?
12
Luca Belli, PhD

17. 13
networkneutrality.info

18. a non-discrimination principle:
access providers cannot treat apps and content
differently based on commercial considerations
14
Luca Belli, PhD

19. the operator is NOT the "network editor"
15
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20. which is what operators opposing net
neutrality argued for…
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21. “just as a newspaper is entitled to decide
which content to publish and where,
broadband providers may feature some
content over others”
(Verizon’s court filing, 2012)
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Luca Belli, PhD

22. the 1st Net Neutrality decade
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23. unfair discriminatory traffic management
19
credit: Diplo Foundation

24. operators blocking
disruptive apps e.g.
VoIP
20
Luca Belli, PhD

25. or throttling competitors/prioritising vertically
integrated apps e.g. video services
21
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26. 22

27. 23
Luca Belli, PhD

28. 24
chapter 2:
zero rating and the scramble for data
Luca Belli, PhD

29. focus shift towards mobile Internet
“traffic from wireless and mobile devices will
account for two-thirds of total IP traffic by 2020”
Cisco, 2016
25
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30. 26
zero rating:
the practice of not counting data consumption
of selected apps against users’ monthly data
allowance
Luca Belli, PhD

31. essential elements:
27
▪ access to a limited selection of apps
is subsidised
▪ a limited amount of data is available
Luca Belli, PhD

32. 28
possible negative externalities:
zero rating impacts on how and by
whom personal data will be extracted
Luca Belli, PhD

33. 29
Luca Belli, PhD

34. 30
orientate Internet usage and user
attention towards specific (sponsored)
apps
Luca Belli, PhD
user attention means
personal data

35. 31
zero rating maximizes the “hooking” of individuals into
subsidised apps

36. 32
73% of Brazilian Internet users utilise prepaid
offerings [featuring zero rating plans]
(CETIC.br 2017)
94.5% of Brazilians state they use the Internet
primarily for messaging apps
(IBGE, 2018)

37. 33
why not ?
Luca Belli, PhD

38. innovation and market success
become subject to the existence
of a zero rating deal
Luca Belli, PhD
possible negative externalities:

39. 35
zero rating impacts on how
information will circulate in
a country
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40. 36

41. 37

42. 38
BTW, who is the main beneficiary?

43. 39

44. 40
Luca Belli, PhD
www.zerorating.info

45. 41

46. 42
zero rating can transform active Internet
users into passive consumers of
predefined apps
Luca Belli, PhD

47. 43

48. 44

49. 45

50. zero rated apps are
NOT free!
but paid with data
(and anything that can
be done out of them)
46

51. 47
is there any alternative strategy?
Luca Belli, PhD

52. 48
Community Networks
Luca Belli, PhD

53. 49
crowd-sourced distributed networks

54. 50
built, utilised and managed in a bottom-up
fashion by the local community as commons
Luca Belli, PhD

55. 51
managed democratically by group of
individuals and entities such as NGOs, local
businesses, and/or public administrations
Luca Belli, PhD

56. 52
Luca Belli, PhD

57. 53
virtuous circle of
knowledge and innovation
Luca Belli, PhD

58. 54
positive externalities of CNs:
▪ freedom of expression
▪ access to knowledge and capacity building
▪ permissionless innovation
▪ decentralisation
▪ more “interesting” Internet
Luca Belli, PhD

59. 55
▪ maps
▪ instant messaging apps
▪ VoIP services
▪ hosting services
▪ local e-commerce platforms
▪ e-health apps, etc.
new content and services
by the community for the community
Luca Belli, PhD

60. 56
the local community
self-determine itself
Luca Belli, PhD

61. 57
Network Self-determination
right to free development of network
infrastructure
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62. 58
“the right to freely associate to define, in a democratic
fashion, the design, development and management of
network infrastructure as a common good, in order to freely
seek, impart and receive information and innovation”
Luca Belli, PhD

63. 59
comconnectivity.org

64. 60
what can be done to
facilitate CNs?
Luca Belli, PhD

65. 61
▪ legal definition of CNs
▪ simplify licensing/authorisation
▪ simplify equipment approval
▪ spectrum sharing and non-discriminatory
interconnection
▪ tax exemptions
Luca Belli, PhD

66. 62
bit.ly/CNlatam
bit.ly/CNpolicies

67. 63
Resolução 614/2013
License waiver for small (less than
5% of market share) Multimedia
Communication Providers

68. 64

69. 65
CNs are not a silver bullet
BUT
there is nothing to lose from allowing people to
build the Internet themselves
Luca Belli, PhD

70. Thank you for your attention!
66
Luca Belli, PhD
Professor at FGV Law School | Head of CyberBRICS
luca.belli@fgv.br | @1lucabelli