[ Ed: Dokumentiert ist hier die Petition in Englisch, wie sie am 20.11.1998 auf dem tschechischen Web- Server http://www.bojkot.cz/ vorgefunden wurde. Diese Petition ist bisher von über 100.000 Tschechen unterzeichnet worden, um so ihren Unwillen gegen die Tarif- Entscheidung der SPT Telecom zu demonstrieren. ]

Internet Proti Monopolu (Prag) informiert:

Internet Against Monopoly – Petition

We, the undersigned, hereby express our great concern related to prepared rise of telephone tariffs as agreed on by SPT Telecom, the Ministry of Finance and the Czech Telecommunications Authority.

Should such rise in price of local telephone calls really happen without providing a reasonable alternative for Internet connection, its consequences would have a catastrophic impact on all Internet users in the Czech Republic and furthermore, it would not only intermit Internet development, but it would even lead to its decline.

Prices for local Internet connection are already so high that they represent one of the greatest restraints of Internet development. Their further rise would endanger the entire Internet related business sector, i.e. the professional group of Internet providers, contents providers and last but not least, computing equipment and software manufacturers and resellers.

We therefore protest against this price rise as vehemently as possible and we consider it an aggression against one of the world's most progressive forms of communication.

The Internet represents one of the ways to increase the general education level, competitiveness of companies and public knowledge. For this reason, its support and development has been assigned special priority in a majority of developed countries. Our country, unfortunately, has taken a different route. Despite the fact that the inaccessibility to the Internet connection, due to its high price (when even an average Internet utilization has significant impact on family budgets) represents the main limiting factor, another price rise is being prepared.

We warn against this trend as it would result in being behind the times, in stagnation in the industrial revolution age instead of proceeding to the information revolution age. We do not want to remain at protests and warnings. We hereby appeal to active improvement of the tariff policy. We are convinced that the absence of an acceptable price alternative for small Internet users is a very negative aspect.

We therefore ask both the involved Ministries to prepare an alternative of favoured Internet connection over the public telephone network in co-operation with SPT Telecom as soon as possible. The state should take advantage of its (fortunately) still controlling interest in SPT Telecom in order to protect the interests of its citizens.

There are several possibilities for settlement of Internet users' specific needs with the economic interests of SPT Telecom. The best solution, according to our opinion, is the establishment of special telephone numbers with different tariff rates, which would be available for Internet connection providers and thus serve for Internet needs.

Another alternative proposed for consideration could be the possibility of telephone line connection for a uniform capitation as usual in some developed countries. Any of the proposed solutions would support Internet development. Its consequences would result in improved economical results of SPT Telecom apart from the positive universal impact which should be the primary interest of both Government and monopoly telephone network operator.

We hereby appeal to all authorities involved in the preparation of the tariffs rise to be aware of their responsibilities and to consider the existing technically feasible and economically advantageous alternatives.

This Petition is not signed only for ourselves, but also on behalf of a wide community of Internet professionals and Internet users. We are ready to co-operate with any competent functionary in favor of a good cause. At the same time we express our resolve not to reconcile with prepared price rise and to utilize all means of protest guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Ivo Lukacovic     Ondrej Neff     Patrick Zandl

[ Ed: Der DarkBreed e.V., Karben (bei Frankfurt am Main) hatte zum 1. November 1998 den ersten deutschen "Internet-Streik" nach spanischen Vorbild initiiert. ]

Gründung eines Internet-Vereins

Während unserer Aktion "User gegen Wucher" haben wir festgestellt, daß in Deutschland eine Vertretung der Online- Nutzer fehlt. Daher wurde beschlossen, so eine Vereinigung zu gründen. Ziel dieser Vereinigung soll sein, die Interessen aller Online- Nutzer in Deutschland zu vertreten und Themen wie "E-Commerce", "Meinungsfreiheit", "Kryptographigesetze" und sonstige Bereiche abdecken soll. Dafür wollen wir neben möglichst vielen Online- Nutzern auch Vertreter der Medien und der Industrie erreichen, um eine breite Plattform zu bieten.

Ursprünglich sollte die Gründungsversammlung am 6.12. in Paderborn anläßlich der Computernacht des WDR stattfinden. Leider ist dies nicht möglich, da nicht ausreichend Karten zur Verfügung standen. Daher wird bei der Computer Nacht eine Delegation unseres Gründungsteams vor Ort sein, um uns zu repräsentieren und Fragen zu beantworten. Am Sonntag, den 6.12. findet in Mainz ein Vorbereitungstreffen statt. Dazu laden wir alle interessierten ein, ab 12:00 Uhr ins City- Hilton zu kommen, und sich dort aktiv an der Vorbereitung, wie z. B. Erstellung der Satzung, zu beteiligen.

Thomas von Treichel   –   Telefon: 01774-238 047

3.4.1999 (t-off). Der Internet-Verein wurde am 27.3.1999 in Gauting bei München als Verein deutscher Online-Nutzer (VDON) gegründet. Der Vereinssitz ist in Mainz, c/o Wilfried Gödert (1. Vorsitzender), Gutenbergstraße 21, 55421 Mainz. Telefon: 01704-018875. E-Mail: wilfried.goedert@vdon.de.

• Association Des Internautes Mécontents
  
• Contre France Télécom
  
• Eclaireur-Journée Noire
  
• Internet Moins Cher
  

Griechenland

• OTE
  

Italien

• Iniziativa popolare per l'abolizione della tariffa urbana a tempo
  

Niederlande

• Internet actie
  

Polen

• Protest Polskiej Spolecznosci Internautow
  

Portugal

• Movimento Greve.NET
  

Schweiz

• Internet pour tous
  

Spanien

• Asociación de Internautas
  
• Dios Proveerá
  
• Fronteras Electrónicas - Electronic Frontiers Spain
  
• Grupo Tarifa Plana
  
• Plataforma La-Huelga
  
• Plataforma Tarifa Plana
  
• Timofónica
  
• Unión de Cybernautas
  

[ Ed: Der folgende Informationstext wurde am 1.5.1999 auf dem Web- Server der italienischen Protestbewegung NoTUT (No Timed Urban Tariff) vorgefunden. Die Zahl der teilnehmenden Länder wurde von t-off bis zum 24.5.1999 laufend aktualisiert. ]

15 countries participate in coordinated "European Telecom Boycott"

INTERNET – May 24, 1999 (NoTUT). Internet users in 15 European countries are joining forces to campaign for fairer telecommunications charges. The following countries intend to take part in a European Telecommunications Boycott on Sunday, June 6: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. On that day all telephone users in those countries are encouraged to pull out the plug for 24 hours; Internet users are asked to lay down their modems.

The boycott is coordinated by telecom.eu.org which brings together, via a mailing list, representatives of all the national campaigns.

The united European campaign aims for:

1. Costs of all telephone calls should more closely mirror the independently audited cost to telecommunications operators of providing these calls, as already mandated by EU law.

2. Introduction of flat-rate charges for – in the first instance – local calls, so that anyone can talk to friends and relatives, and Internet users can dial up to Internet Service Providers using a telephone modem, without worrying about the clock ticking and charges ratcheting up.

3. For any remaining metered calls, abolition of the minimum call charge so that calls are paid for solely by the time spent connected.

4. For Internet users, quicker introduction of modern access methods such as xDSL, cable modems and satellite access, which do not use the telephone modem and are great improvements on it for users.

List of national campaigns which supports the European Telecom Boycott Last update: June 4, 1999. Source: NoTUT, Italy – Remarks by t-off.
Nr.	Country	National Campaigns	Remarks
1.	Austria	Billiger Surfen
2.	Belgium	IBEC – KBI
3.	Czech Republic	IPM – Internet against monopoly
4.	Denmark	Netstrejke
5.	France	IMC – Internet moins cher + ADIM
	Germany	? ? ?	Are they tired? And what's about the VDON? But, then...
6.	Greece	Potek - OTE Sucks
7.	Hungary		Sorry, I didn't found the URL.
8.	Italy	NOTUT + Iniziativa popolare per l'abolizione della tariffa urbana a tempo	Contact: Paolo Graziani
9.	Poland	Protest Polskiej Spolecznosci Internautow
10.	Portugal	Movimento Greve.Net
11.	Romania	Comunitatea Abonatilor Internet din România (CAIR) - AntiRomtelecom
12.	Spain	Asociaciòn de Internautas + Plataforma La Huelga
13.	Sweden	Bojkott
14.	Switzerland	Association Suisse des Internautes (ASDI)
15.	United Kingdom	Campaign for Unmetered Telecommunications (CUT)

22.1.2000 (t-off). Erst drei Monate nach dem European Telecom Boycott bildete sich im Herbst 1999 nach dem britischen Vorbild CUT in Deutschland die User-Initiative „Internet ohne Taktung“ (IOT), nachdem VDON als Lobbyist total ausgefallen war. Der vom Berliner Studenten Philipp Sudholt gestarteten Initiative gelang es in kurzer Zeit über 30.000 virtuelle Protest- Unterschriften zu sammeln und das Anliegen eines ungetakteten („unmetered“) Internet- Zugangs (monatliche Flat-rate für die Telefonverbindungen zum Internet- Provider) in den Deutschen Bundestag zu tragen.