Net neutrality's holes in Europe may offer peek at future in US

Paris

LAST spring, Swedes got a tantalising offer: If they subscribed to Sweden's biggest telecom provider, Telia Co AB, they could have unlimited access on their mobile phones to Facebook, Spotify, Instagram and other blockbuster apps.

Swedish regulators tried to put a stop to it. They argued that the arrangement violated the net neutrality rules in the European Union, which require internet providers to offer equal access to all web content. Essentially, once a user's data cap was reached, Telia would restrict other apps, but not the big ones.

The issue is working its way through the courts. As it does, the offer is still available.

Such deals may be gaining momentum in the United States.

The Federal Communications Commission is expected to vote on Thursday to roll back the net neutrality rules in the United States. While the EU has such rules in place, telecom providers have pushed the boundaries at times in Sweden, Germany, Portugal and elsewhere, offering a glimpse at the future US companies and consumers may face if protections are watered …