ASSESSMENT OF NET NEUTRALITY REGULATIONS AND TRAFIC MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES IN MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF COMPETITION LAW

Yıl 2015, Sayı: 63, 51 - 100, 01.09.2015

Şahin Ardıyok Hakan Demirkan Emin Köksal Barış Yüksel

Öz

Recent debate on net neutrality exhibits a particular importance for mobile communications services. Mobil operators strive to decrease the substitution between their own services and the services offered by over–the-top OTT providers. Although recent enacted net neutrality regulations in certain countries have limited the traffic management capabilities of mobile operators, they do not completely eliminate competition infringement risks. This study assesses net neutrality regulations and traffic management activities in mobile communications from the perspective of competition law, considering the dynamics of two sided markets. Based on the practices in United States US and in European Union EU , the study examines unilateral and collusive behaviors of mobile operators around the Articles 4 and 6 of the Competition Law

Anahtar Kelimeler

Mobile communications services, net neutrality, traffic management, OTT, two sided market

MOBİL İLETİŞİM HİZMETLERİNDE ŞEBEKE TARAFSIZLIĞI DÜZENLEMELERİ VE TRAFİK YÖNETİMİ UYGULAMALAR- ININ REKABET HUKUKU AÇISINDAN DEĞERLENDİRİLMESİ

Öz

Son yıllarda internet ile ilgili tartışmaların merkezinde bulunan şebeke tarafsızlığı kavramı mobil iletişim hizmetleri için ayrı bir önem arz etmektedir. Mobil işletmeciler, kendi sundukları hizmetlerinin ikamesi haline gelen over–thetop OTT hizmetlerin etkilerini çeşitli trafik yönetimi uygulamalarıyla azaltmaya çalışmaktadırlar. Yakın geçmişte, çeşitli ülkelerde uygulamaya konulan şebeke tarafsızlığı düzenlemeleri, mobil işletmecilerin şebekeleri üzerinden geçen trafiği yönetme kabiliyetlerini belli ölçülerde kısıtlasa da, ortaya çıkabilecek rekabet hukuku ihlallerini ortadan kaldırmamaktadır. Bu çalışma, çift taraflı pazar dinamiklerini dikkate alarak, mobil hizmetlerde şebeke tarafsızlığı ve trafik yönetimi uygulamalarını rekabet hukuku çerçevesinde ele almaktadır. Çalışma, Amerika Birleşik Devletleri ABD ve Avrupa Birliği AB uygulamalarından hareketle, mobil işletmecilerin tek taraflı ve içerik sağlayıcılar ile birlikte girişebilecekleri davranışları çerçevesinde ele almakta ve Rekabet Kanunu’nun 4. ve 6. maddeleri kapsamında bir değerlendirme sunmaktadır

Anahtar Kelimeler

Mobil iletişim hizmetleri, şebeke tarafsızlığı, trafik yönetimi, OTT, çift taraflı pazar

Kaynakça

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