Report on net neutrality submitted to Telecom Minister

A telecom department panel on net neutrality submitted its report to the communications & IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, which will be a key component for the government’s policy on net neutrality, over the weekend.

The report, which has been compiled by a six-member committee appointed in January, comes at a time when the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) is busy in the consultation process of defining net neutrality and whether over the top players should be brought under some licensing architecture.

Some members of the committee felt that the definition (of net neutrality) should not be at cross-purposes with the government's policy and objectives of Digital India. The upshot is that essential services such as e-governance, as envisaged in the 'Digital India' plan, should be delivered on a preferential basis to end-users.

The final Trai report along with the internal committee's report will together define the government's policy on net neutrality.

Last month, Prasad in Rajya Sabha had announced that the government was in favour of maintaining the core principles of net neutrality and internet for all.
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