About: Internet Access
EU alarmed by Internet blackout in Congo after elections
On 31 December, the day after the presidential election, the Congolese government cut off internet access. The European Union has called for the situation to normalise while the preliminary results are still awaited, one week after the poll was held. EURACTIV France reports.
Net neutrality compliance in France better than elsewhere in Europe
An app allowing Internet users to monitor their internet service provider’s proper conduct was presented at the Internet Governance Forum in Paris on Monday (12 November). The initial statistics have shown that France has fared well. EURACTIV France reports.
Reding: ‘Endangered languages could be saved by the internet’
Internet platforms have helped the internet to become more multilingual, and especially less widely spoken languages like Luxembourgish, Viviane Reding told EURACTIV.com in an interview.
EU urged to help expand internet domain names in different languages
Researchers and officials working on internet governance have urged EU institutions to help expand the use of internationalised domain names, which contain letters from alphabets including Cyrillic or Greek, or accented letters like in the word “café”.
Africa’s dwindling online freedom
Africa is using the internet more and more but many governments are employing web blackouts to manipulate voters and silence critics. EURACTIV Germany reports.
The CAP and the Digital Single Market
Internet connectivity has become vital to modern agriculture.
EU farmers dream of the digital age
Europe's farmers are beginning to embrace new technologies. But poor internet connections and the high cost of new digital tools can be discouraging. EURACTIV reports.
Broadband internet access will become a legal right under new EU telecoms rules
The European Commission is setting itself up for a fight with national governments by forcing them to pay for guaranteed internet access across the EU and comply with new rules on radio spectrum sales, according to an internal document obtained by EURACTIV.com.
Andrus Ansip wants European aid to finance the African digital market
Digital development should be put at the heart of the EU's aid policy, the Commissioner for the Digital Single Market, Andrus Ansip, said at the European Development Days event in Brussels. EURACTIV France reports.
Europe will have stronger net neutrality rules than the US, regulators say
EU telecoms regulators said yesterday (6 June) that a new net neutrality law would give Europe stronger internet traffic rules than the United States, where a year-old regulation is facing legal challenges.
ECJ Wi-Fi opinion could boost free internet in Europe
A new legal opinion from the European Court of Justice (ECJ) could topple Germany's tight restrictions on free Wi-Fi—and internet service providers say it might also help boost the number of free Wi-Fi points across Europe.
EU internet freedom programme endangered by Commission muddle
EXCLUSIVE / The European Commission appears to have shelved a landmark programme that gave out aid money to help human rights workers, protestors and journalists access the internet.
Journalists unmask shady deals in probe of internet providers
A group of investigative journalists are calling out internet service providers in a number of EU countries for their shady business connections and lack of transparency.
Oettinger warns against monopolies ahead of new German telecoms rules
Digital Commissioner Günther Oettinger announced yesterday (26 November) that the Commission is getting ready to check upcoming changes in Germany's telecoms rules and determine whether they're anti-competitive.
Rural broadband access threatened by Berlin party politics
With the investment package from Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, the German government hopes to boost nationwide broadband expansion. But critics doubt the fibre optic cables will end up where they are most needed. EURACTIV Germany reports.
EU moves to speed up fibre networks
The European Parliament adopted new rules aimed at deploying high-speed telecoms networks on Tuesday (15 April), paving the way for wider Internet coverage of rural and poorer areas.
ICT seen as a key to rural development, small-scale farming
The development of rural areas, including services such as an internet connection, is necessary to stop the decline of small-holder family farming, which experts see as vital for youth employment and food security.
Cable suppliers aim to cover half EU households
The European cable industry aims to increase their coverage of high-speed internet connections to over half of EU households by 2020, in a move that would help meet the EU's ambitious targets on high-speed broadband.
Parliament pushes for keeping Internet open
The European Parliament adopted yesterday (17 November) a clear-cut position on net neutrality, giving the priority to maintaining an open Internet for all rather than increasing its use for commercial purposes.
New EU sales law to boost eCommerce
If retailers had just one set of contract laws across the bloc, eCommerce would take off exponentially, the European Commission will argue in an upcoming proposal next week. But disgruntled businesses are gearing up against the draft regulation.
French mayors call for faster high-speed Internet roll-out
According to a new survey, the mayors of rural France overwhelmingly want very high-speed Internet coverage made available to their towns long before the French government's current plans would allow. EURACTIV France reports.
Telco bosses fail to break deadlock on fibre funding
As the European Commission takes the bull by the horns and asks companies to address a lack of investment in high-speed fibre optic networks, big and small telcommunications firms are failing to break a deadlock on how fibre should be financed.
Web inventor: ‘Snooping’ authorities threaten Internet
Governments and companies pushing for greater monitoring of Internet activity pose a major threat to freedom and democracy, according to Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web.