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* EU adopted net neutrality rules last year
* EU regulators drew up guidelines to enforce them
* Telecoms firms limited in how they treat different typesof data (Adds Liberty Global comment, citizens' group comment)
By Julia Fioretti
BRUSSELS, Aug 30 (Reuters) - EU regulators on Tuesdayadopted a strict interpretation of rules limiting how telecomsfirms like Vodafone and Orange can prioritisesome types of internet traffic, aiming to protect the principlethat all web traffic be treated equally.
The guidelines on net neutrality were welcomed by internetactivists as ensuring the web remains an open platform and not atwo-speed highway, benefiting only companies with deep pocketsthat can pay for prioritised delivery.
"Because of this law, telecom companies won't be able tosell a first-class Internet to the mega-rich while the rest ofus travel coach," said Luca Nicotra, a senior campaigner forcitizens' group Avaaz.
The European Union adopted its first-ever net neutrality lawlast year and the latest guidelines will help determine howregulators enforce those rules.
The telecoms industry has been seeking to increase revenuesby offering specialised services that need a guaranteed level ofquality, to offset declining turnover from its traditionaltelephony business.
Companies had pushed for leeway allowing them to prioritisesome types of data over others, but under the latest guidelinesthey will only be able to offer so-called specialised services -such as connectivity for driverless cars and internet-connecteddevices - over dedicated network capacity if it is "objectivelynecessary" and only if it does not negatively affect theInternet.
"We encourage national regulators to maintain the pragmaticand flexible approach that was intended by the EU regulation andthat has served customers, innovation and industry in Europewell to date," said a spokesman for cable operator LibertyGlobal.
Services such as high-quality voice calling on mobilenetworks, live television delivered over the Internet and remotesurgery, or telesurgery, are likely to be allowed as specialisedservices, according to the guidelines.
The telecoms industry said it was essential to avoid"restrictive interpretations" of the net neutrality law.
"Let's make sure the implementation of net neutrality rulesdoes not hamper new applications and services," said Lise Fuhr,director general of ETNO, a telecoms lobbying group representingoperators including Deutsche Telekom, Telefonica and Telecom Italia.
Regulators also limited the extent to which telecomsoperators may exempt some applications, for example Facebook,from a customer's data usage, a practice known as zero-rating.
Customers would not be able to continue using Facebook or,say, Spotify, for free once they have used up all the data intheir subscription. (Editing by Susan Fenton and David Holmes)
