Net Neutrality comes to Netherlands

As anticipated, the Dutch parliament last week made Netherlands the first European Union country to craft a Net Neutrality law. The legislation, which still awaits final approval, includes language barring ISPs from levying fees on mobile VoIP services.

The VoIP rule itself, cheered by Skype and other VoIP providers, is being seen as a major blow to traditional telecom service providers like KPN. The Dutch government's action follows the creation of the world's first Net Neutrality law in Chile.

In the U.S., traditional telecom service providers have been trying to get the Federal Communications Commission to force VoIP providers to pay similar fees, which remains a key part of the ongoing debate over the future of the FCC's Net Neutrality rules.

For more:
- read the International Business Times story
- see this report in The New York Times

Related articles:
The Dutch appeared poised to act on VoIP fees in recent weeks
VoIP-related Net Neutrality issues have been a hot topic since last year