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India’s telecom arena is fighting an inner conflict of to be or not to be on the issue of <keyword id="6391709" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Net-neutrality">net neutrality</keyword>. In this crucial juncture, <keyword id="15491" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Airtel">Airtel</keyword> acted smart and introduced <keyword id="2796594" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="airtel-zero">Airtel Zero</keyword> yesterday where companies, including startups, can let users access apps for free. In effect, the app maker will pay for the customer's free usage to the operator. 
 
We have reported earlier that this will affect net neutrality. As per a news report in The Economic Times, this move has been severely criticized by the experts including Internet &amp; Mobile Association of India, whose spokesperson has said that, all apps should be made accessible to users on a non-discriminatory basis, not just a few. 
 In a bid to defend the same, Airtel's <keyword id="2798199" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Director-for-Consumer-Business">Director for Consumer Business</keyword> Srini Gopalan told the ET, “No bandwidth is allocated whether an app is on Airtel Zero or not and there is no impact on performance of the app.” He said Airtel has worked with 10-20 apps, including large eCommerce players and smaller startups on the platform on a pilot basis over a couple of months, which has resulted in a 65% drop in the digital spending. However, Airtel did not divulge the names of apps or companies which have signed up for Airtel Zero. 
 
While discussing with the financial daily, some experts pointed out TRAI’s lack of guidelines on this kind of collaborations. While Airtel has planned this in a major scale, this is nothing new in the Indian telecom scene. 
 In February, <keyword id="46907" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Reliance-communications">Reliance Communications</keyword> tied up with Facebook to launch internet.org in India, which provided access to 33 websites free of charge. In another instance, Uninor offered free usage of WhatsApp for Rs 1 a day and Rs 0.5 per hour for Facebook last year, and followed up with free Wikipedia for three months beginning April 1. This was another way of offering zero-rating plans, promoting unbridled access to the Internet, a senior executive had told the ET. 
 
A few days back, TRAI had floated a consultation paper on net neutrality, which implies that telcos cannot block certain apps or websites and promote a few. 
 
(Image: India Times)

Airtel is violating net neutrality and no one is liking it!

At a time when country’s free Internet is under attack and the telecom operators are willing to implement new strategies to earn more profit, political parties have come together in support of <keyword id="6391709" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Net-neutrality">Net Neutrality</keyword> in India. Net Neutrality or democratic internet plans for all under the sun has made possible the impossible. There has been only one instance when political parties had joined together to protest – that was almost 70 years before in India’s freedom struggle against the British rule. 
 A news report by The Economic Times said, political parties have joined the pitch for Internet freedom. "<keyword id="1575" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Congress">Congress</keyword> completely supports net neutrality, Internet freedom must not be compromised," said Congress leader Ajay Maken. 
 
"If ISPs control where you should shop from, then consumers will be powerless," Maken slammed. 
 The government has also backed an open Internet. Telecom Minister <keyword id="8748" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Ravi-Shankar">Ravi Shankar</keyword> Prasad has said the common man should be able to access it without discrimination and declared that the final decision on the controversial net neutrality issue will be taken by the telecom department and not the regulator. 
A six-member panel set up by telecom department will submit its recommendations next month, following which a final view will be taken on Net Neutrality, the principle that guarantees consumers equal and non-discriminatory access to all data, apps and services on the Internet. 
 Meanwhile, after the significant backlash that it faced, online retailer Flipkart on Tuesday withdrew from the controversial <keyword id="15491" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Airtel">Airtel</keyword> Zero plan. "We think equal access to Internet is important for healthy growth of internet services in India. We have realised that Airtel Zero could go against net neutrality," Flipkart said. 
 
"We will be internally discussing details of actions over the next few days. We have a deeper understanding of the implications of zero rating," Flipkart said on social media. "We are committed to the larger cause of Net Neutrality," Flipkart said in a statement. 
 
On its part Airtel, who pioneered the move with introduction of Airtel Zero said that it believes in the concept of Net Neutrality. "We have always supported net neutrality. The Internet is open and we believe it should be non-discriminatory. It should be transparent and open and completely support net neutrality as a concept," Gopal Vittal, CEO of Airtel India told the ET. 
 
Asked whether Airtel is planning to withdraw the product, Vittal said, "We stand committed to the product. We are disappointed by the kind of criticism on the product. This cannot be a conversation on rich versus the poor. 
 
(Image: India Times)

Is Net Neutrality Movement India’s new struggle for freedom? Flipkart vows for net neutrality

<keyword id="6391709" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Net-neutrality">Net neutrality</keyword> has become a raging issue in the country and over the last one month everybody has been talking about it. Net neutrality is the concept that makes it mandatory for all service providers to offer access to consumers to all content on the internet including websites and applications, irrespective of the source and no special favors or blocking of any applications or websites. 
 Unfortunately, the giant telecos in the country are lobbying against this. Common users as well as many corporates, especially in those in the tech domain are coming out to support net neutrality. The huge debate erupted when <keyword id="15491" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Airtel">Airtel</keyword> came up with Zero programme and e-commerce giant Flipkart decided to party with it. Post the huge outburst on the social media, Flipkart announced that it was walking away from the Zero initiative. 
 Airtel too has come out and said that it is not against net Neutrality in India and the company is now looking at reaching out to its customers through direct mails. The mail quotes <keyword id="521074" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gopal-Vittal">Gopal Vittal</keyword>, MD and CEO of Airtel, who states, “Our vision is to have every Indian on the internet. There are millions of Indians who think that the internet is expensive and do not know what it can do for them. We believe that every Indian has the right to be on the internet. We know that if we allow them to experience the joys of the internet they will join the digital revolution” 
 
Talking specifically about the recent controversy, Vittal says, “There has been a deliberate effort by some quarters to confuse people that we will offer differential speeds or differential access for different sites. This is untrue. After all we earn revenues from data. If there are more customers who are on the Internet the better it is for our business. Our revenues are not dependent on which sites they visit because we charge on the basis of consumption of mega bytes not which site they visited.” 
 
<a href="http://www.in.techradar.com/news/internet/broadband/What-is-net-neutrality-and-why-does-it-matter/articleshow/38479919.cms">Read Also: Net Neutrality and Why does it matter?</a> 
 
Even Cellular Operators Association in India (COAI) has come up and shared that it is all up for net neutrality. In its statement it also made a strong pitch for ‘Net Equality’ that will enable access to Internet for a Billion Indians as part of the Government’s Digital India vision. 
 
The Association urged all stakeholders to have a comprehensive and informed debate on the subject of Net Neutrality keeping in mind the requirements of India and its citizens. An important and complex subject such as this, which is still being debated in many countries, which has taken years to conclude in many other countries and which is the subject of litigation in some, should not be left to the opinion of a few. 
 
It further said, “We need the same spirit to connect a Billion Indians to the Internet. This means innovations across the ecosystem – affordable smartphones, more efficient networks, even more broad ranging applications (especially in areas such as education, health, governance) and pricing flexibility – that promotes greater digital inclusion. Only then can our citizens in rural India, or from a lower economic strata, be empowered through internet access”. 
 
A lot of top men in corporate and technology world too have come in support of net neutrality. Here is a snapshot of what some of the leading players in the industry have to say 
 
 
Ritesh Agarwal CEO, OYO Rooms (revolutionary budget hotel) in support of net neutrality said, “Net neutrality is absolutely essential for a free and competitive market especially now since there is a start- up boom in the country particularly in the online sector. Most importantly Internet was created to break boundaries and as concerned industry players, we should maintain that. We support net neutrality and will do all needed to build this further.” 
 
Manav Sethi, Group CMO, Askme believes, "Internet is an essential service and should be provided without any discrimination, zero rating platforms can seriously affect the freedom and growth of the billions of entrepreneurs, quite against the ‘Make in India’ and ‘Digital India’ vision of our government. Any violation of internet neutrality can have a serious bearing on effective and fair competition in the market place. We feel it’s the government’s responsibility to ensure a level playing field for home grown entrepreneurs and at the same time protect the interests of netizens." 
 
Rajesh Magow, Co-Founder and CEO-India, MakeMyTrip says, "We are committed to a free internet and fully support Net Neutrality. Innovation is core to our DNA and a free internet will foster innovation and boost the pace of economic growth of the country. A 2011 McKinsey Report on ‘The Impact Of Internet On Economic Growth &amp; Prosperity’ suggests that higher internet penetration leads to a rise in living standard and drives business transformation and economic modernization. In light of this analysis, it will be important for India to not only accelerate the penetration of internet, but also make sure that the next set of mobile-first users who are coming online from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities find valuable services, in a language they understand, on the internet. We urge all government departments to consider how internet can be integrated in their respective areas, in order to provide value to this first-time internet user, instead of treating the internet as a separate vertical. We would also like to propose a democratic network-neutral platform, where companies can come together to build solutions for these first-time internet users (in their native languages), to support the growth and penetration of internet in India, without any commercial arrangement between the parties involved." 
 
Tripti Lochan, CEO VML says, “Keeping neutrality of data is sacred. It levels the playing field and as a country gives us hope - that we are about enterprise and not just about scale, where big eats small. It's about a very simple fundamental principle - equality. Today, consciously, let's make a choice that counts.” 
 
Kallol Borah, CEO &amp; Founder, Lukup Media believes, "The internet needs to be neutral - no internet application provider ‎or consumer should be deprived of or get a different treatment based on a special contract or payment made to the telecom or internet service provider. However, we all know that telecom and internet infrastructure requires huge investments and since that infrastructure is so poor and is not available to all, there is a case for a levy made equally on all internet application providers by internet service providers based on outgoing traffic that such internet application providers consume. So, if a website sends out X GB of data another website sends out Y GB of data, they will pay an additional charge per GB to the internet service provider." 
 
Lead Image: Thinkstock

Net
neutrality: What The Top People in Industry Have to Say

When Indian telecom scene is facing the big question of <keyword id="6391709" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Net-neutrality">net neutrality</keyword>, telecom operator <keyword id="15491" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Airtel">Airtel</keyword> seems to be pulling the right plug by introducing '<keyword id="2796594" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="airtel-zero">Airtel Zero</keyword>', an open marketing platform that will allow customers to access mobile applications at zero data charges. A news report in The Economic Times confirms, the company has claimed that the latest platform will be a big win for customers as it will allow them to access mobile applications at no data charges, and also encourage them to try out new applications. 
 
The platform, as claimed by the telco, can work as a highly efficient marketing mechanism for small developers or startup shops that face budget constraints towards driving promotions and app downloads. This freebie will encourage dormant customers and pull in new users to experience the apps tied up to Airtel. 
 
However, as per reports by The Times of India, Airtel’s new move violates the principles of net neutrality as the company will offer an advantage to certain players in terms of cost of access and will even promote them. While the Telco will gain revenues, the app developers would need to pay extra to make sure more subscribers are encouraged to access their products. 
 
A few days back, TRAI had floated a consultation paper on net neutrality, which implies that telcos cannot block certain apps or websites and promote a few. 
 
(Image: India Times)

Accessing apps may soon be free but not fair. Here’s why.

In the past week, there has been a lot of social outcry in India regarding <keyword id="6391709" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Net-neutrality">Net Neutrality</keyword>. It all started with Airtel coming up with a Zero Programme and Flipkart deciding to partner with it. However, on April 11, 2015, YouTube group <keyword id="1875393" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="AIB">AIB</keyword> came up with a video explaining what Net Neutrality means and that the video went viral. Several celebrities took to their Twitter to save the cause and we had #SaveTheInternet trending for hours together. 
 The public backlash forced Flipkart to withdraw from this initiative and even Airtel came out with statements that its Zero initiative is not against Net Neutrality. In between all this, Flipkart and Airtel both manage to drag <keyword id="6354576" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Facebook">Facebook</keyword> and RCOM’s FreeInternet.org and raise questions if this too was against the principles of Net Neutrality. 
 
In a <a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/technology-topstories/facebook-ceo-mark-zuckerberg-to-ht-net-neutrality-and-universal-connectivity-must-co-exist/article1-1337766.aspx">Hindustan Time</a>s column, Facebook’s CEO and Founder, shares a reply to the same and has said, “The Internet is one of the most powerful tools for economic and social progress. It gives people access to jobs, knowledge and opportunities. It gives voice to the voiceless in our society, and it connects people with vital resources for health and education. I believe everyone in the world deserves access to these opportunities.” 
 
While talking specifically on why Internet.org was created, he said, “In many countries, however, there are big social and economic obstacles to connectivity. The Internet isn't affordable to everyone, and in many places awareness of its value remains low. Women and the poor are most likely to be excluded and further disempowered by lack of connectivity.” 
 <keyword id="353568" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Zuckerberg">Zuckerberg</keyword> also mentions that currently over 600 million people in 8 countries can now access free basic services through Internet.org and that this step complements <keyword id="71" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Prime-Minister">Prime Minister</keyword> <keyword id="128905" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narender-Modi">Narender Modi</keyword>’s Digital India Initiative. 
 
Coming to the sensitive topic of Net Neutrally, he stresses that he is full pro it. He furthermore adds, “Net neutrality is not in conflict with working to get more people connected. These two principles - Net Neutrality and universal connectivity - can and must coexist.” 
 
[<a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/technology-topstories/facebook-ceo-mark-zuckerberg-to-ht-net-neutrality-and-universal-connectivity-must-co-exist/article1-1337766.aspx">Source</a>]

Zuckerberg
defends Internet.org initiative amidst #NetNeutrality debate

Many instances in the past have proved that young India loves to raise the red flag. And when it’s about an issue, which is severely harmful for the interest of many, it’s obvious that people will come forward. With Indian Internet users voicing their support for net neutrality in the country, the telecom regulator has received more than 1.5 lakh emails over the weekend . 
 
In the last few hours, at nearly 10 emails a minute, the pace of such emails have touched record speed flooding the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's inbox. 
 "This is completely unprecedented. We thought we'll get about 15,000 emails in 10 days," Kiran Jonnalagadda, one of people behind the campaign told the ET. Earlier, the telecom regulator had sought views from the public on regulating 'over the top' service providers like <keyword id="790242" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="WhatsApp">Whatsapp</keyword> and <keyword id="6377887" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Skype">Skype</keyword>. 
 
The e-mail campaign to protect net neutrality began on Saturday around 3 pm through Savetheinternet.in website. A video created by popular standup comedy group All India Bakchod (AIB) also pushed many users to sign up for the campaign. 
 
The video was shared thousands of times within a short period on Facebook. Because of the unusually high number of shares, the social network mistook it for spam and took it off people's timelines. It was soon restored after many users complained. 
 
 
Net neutrality, or the notion that Internet service providers must treat all traffic as equal, became a topic of heated discussion after TRAI floated a consultation paper on "Regulatory Framework for Over-the-Top (OTT) Services" seeking comments from stakeholders. 
 Last week, telecom provider <keyword id="15491" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Airtel">Airtel</keyword> launched Airtel Zero, a scheme through which companies can pay Airtel and have users browse their service free of data charges. The practice of allowing apps to be free of data charges to the consumer is called ‘zero rating’ in telecom parlance. 
 
By paying to be on Airtel Zero, companies can make sure that their users get free access to their service, while smaller players are at a disadvantage. Airtel has said that zero rating does not violate net neutrality as it lowers the cost of access and it is "non-discriminatory". 
 Many startups are staunchly opposed to breaking net neutrality. "It creates a class system all over again, this time, for people with money," Sai Srinivas Kiran, <keyword id="5645" type="POSITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="CEO">CEO</keyword> of Tewee, a hardware startup for video streaming told the financial daily. 
 Many politicians like Tathagata Satpathy, Derek O'Brien and <keyword id="205969" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Rajeev-Chandrasekhar">Rajeev Chandrasekhar</keyword> have also taken up the issue. In December 2014, Airtel had also tried to introduce a plan to charge Internet telephony companies like Skype and Whatsapp a higher tariff. However, the telecom operator withdrew the plan after public outrage.

​It's 1.5 lakh net neutralists vs Airtel,  Vodafone, Idea

The <keyword id="97393" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Competition-Commission-of-India">Competition Commission of India</keyword> (CCI) has decided to wait for regulations on <keyword id="6391709" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Net-neutrality">Net Neutrality</keyword> before taking any action against telecom and Internet firms over giving preferential treatment to mobile operators and websites. 
 
The CCI said it would wait for more clarity on regulations ensuring access to free Internet before moving ahead. 
 
“With regard to the issue of Net Neutrality, there are no clear regulations in place so far. The authorities are working on it and once the regulations are clear, then we (Commission) can look at the issue,” a senior CCI official told a news agency. 
 The Government has so far maintained that it stands by ensuring non-discriminatory access to Internet to all. Even the <keyword id="30356" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Telecom-Regulatory-Authority-of-India">Telecom Regulatory Authority of India</keyword> (<keyword id="6356988" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="TRAI">TRAI</keyword>) had invited suggestions from net users on Net Neutrality. 
 
CCI, which keeps a tab on unfair business practices across sectors, will order a detailed probe into a matter only if there is prima-facie evidence of anti-competitive ways. 
 The debate over Net Neutrality was triggered after leading telecom carrier <keyword id="6354287" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bharti-Airtel">Bharti Airtel</keyword> announced ‘<keyword id="15491" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Airtel">Airtel</keyword> Zero’, an open marketing platform that allows customers to access a variety of mobile applications for free, with the data charges being paid by start-ups and large companies. 
 
TRAI last week had said it did not intend to police the Internet but there were three unexceptional principles including ‘no blocking’ which are not debatable. 
 
It recently came out with a consultation paper for regulatory framework on over-the-top (OTT) service like Internet-based calling and messaging services and Net Neutrality.

Fair trade watchdog to wait and watch before taking on telcos in Net Neutrality

As the uproar over <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Facebook%E2%80%99s+Free+Basics&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Facebook’s Free Basics</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Airtel%E2%80%99s+Zero+Plan&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Airtel’s Zero Plan</a> was fading, India’s two largest telecom operators <keyword id="15491" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Airtel">Airtel</keyword> and <keyword id="15492" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Vodafone">Vodafone</keyword> have questioned <keyword id="6356988" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="TRAI">TRAI</keyword>’s proposal to have a non-telco platform offer Indians free internet. The telcos say this could create a monitor to regulate content. 
 
The story so far 
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) re-opened the debate on net neutrality recently with a new pre-consultation paper, inviting public discussion on the topic. Previous <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=TRAI&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">TRAI</a> papers issued in March 2015, December 2015 and May 2016 have raised questions on free data, differential pricing and net neutrality. 
 
Back in February, TRAI upheld net neutrality and forbid telecom operators from offering discriminatory tariffs for data services. However, in May TRAI came with a new consultation paper that offers ways to offer free internet within the spirit of net neutrality. Seems like the telcos don’t like it. 
 
What is Vodafone/Airtel’s problem? 
“If free data can be offered by a non-telecom service provider, then there is no basis or rationale for the authority to exclude the telecom operators, especially in view of the fact that a telecom operator agnostic platform could also indulge in the gate-keeping functions,” the Vodafone representative said to TRAI. 
 
The idea <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=TRAI&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">TRAI</a> came up with is to have a telecom agnostic platform which can facilitate app developers to promote their websites by offering incentives to users for making their websites popular. Vodafone argues that if the telecom service provider (TSP) agnostic platform is to be regulated, “then why can a similar platform not be offered by TSPs who already operate under a regulatory framework.” 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Vodafone&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Vodafone</a> said that while TRAI can regulate a TSP and not a non-TSP. Hence, if any such free data framework is to be developed, it should be structured through TSPs. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Airtel&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Airtel</a> said it’s untrue that TSPs try to curb the freedom of the internet. It said that telcos hold a valid telecom licence, and only they can have a business under India’s regulatory framework. 
 
Why is this important? 
If telcos get to charge <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=WhatsApp&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">WhatsApp</a>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Skype&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Skype</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Viber&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Viber</a> for voice-calling over the internet, or any other services, these apps would be forced to charge Indians to make up for this loss. Only the telcos stand to gain from this case, especially because whether it is voice calling or texting, data over the internet is treated the same. 
 
Also, now that India is picking up momentum in terms of startups, this move is likely to trigger an anti-competitiveness where the big players would get bigger, and the smaller ones would suffer unnecessarily. Net neutrality is good for startups. Period. 
 
Why should we be worried? 
There’s a tight rope between judicious traffic management and unfair interference, and a naïve customer might not be able to make one from the other. Power in the hands of ISPs has never turned out well consumers globally. Think <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Netflix-Comcast&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Netflix-Comcast</a>. 
 
In case you don’t know, few years back, Comcast deliberately dropped <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Netflix&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Netflix</a> speeds in the US. This forced the video-streaming company to pay money to Comcast. In case you don’t want your video-streaming speeds to drop one night, you know what to do. 
 
Image credit: Indiatimes

India’s two biggest telcos don't want TRAI’s free internet
plan. Here’s why it matters

Joining the internet giants who are all shouting out loud for <keyword id="6391709" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Net-neutrality">net neutrality</keyword>, telecom major <keyword id="15492" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Vodafone">Vodafone</keyword> too cleared its stand on the issue. <keyword id="958297" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Sunil-Sood">Sunil Sood</keyword>, managing director of Vodafone India clarified the internet giants. 
 In a recent press conference in Delhi, Sood said that the company did not believe in ‘carving’ or ‘blocking’ the Internet. "We're completely for net neutrality. We've seen 148% growth in data usage, thanks to <keyword id="1245953" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="OTT">OTT</keyword> (Over-the-top) players. However, we're also pro net equality. If there's a service similar to ours, the rate should be the same", he said. ‘Similar service’ seemingly refers to OTT VoIP Apps such as Skype, Whatsapp, Viber and Hike among others. 
 
One can't help but ponder over how much OTT voice-over-Internet-protocol (VoIP) call services agitate Indian telcos. There's no doubt that OTT VoIPs like WhatsApp, Skype, Line or Viber allow users to make free calls and have been biting into Telco revenues for quite a while. According to telecom advisory firm Ovum, telecom companies across the world will lose around $386 billion between 2012 and 2018 due to OTT VoIPs. 
 
Most Indian telcos feel they can't earn back what they invest on infrastructure as app makers cash in by just sending data over these networks. Telecom companies make money only out of data usage, not on bandwidth, which is getting cheaper anyway. 
 <keyword id="2796594" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="airtel-zero">Airtel Zero</keyword>’s launch in April sparked the debate on net neutrality in India. The plan offered free internet access to some websites, while others were payable. Sood clarified Vodafone won’t follow suit. He dismissed <keyword id="15491" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Airtel">Airtel</keyword>’s zero plan as a “trivial price plan”, which has been deviced as incentive to promote data services in the country. The company is currently waiting for the government's stand on the issue. 
 
Vodafone India currently has around 63.8 million data users, 19.4 million on 3G.

Vodafone is all for net neutrality, calls Airtel Zero as
trivial price plan

The <keyword id="62528" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Department-of-Telecom">Department of Telecom</keyword>’s report on '<keyword id="6391709" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Net-neutrality">Net Neutrality</keyword>' has advised the government not to allow the controversial zero rating plans of the telecom companies while proposing that throttling and any sort of prioritization of Internet traffic should be banned. 

	A senior government official privy to the report told ET: "There should be no paid prioritization which creates discrimination and no degradation of traffic on the internet on the basis of applications, content, services or even the end user." 
 

	The six-member committee's report along with the telecom regulator's recommendations will form the final basis of the government's policy on net neutrality, a principle that guarantees consumers equal and non-discriminatory access to all data, apps and services on Internet, with no discrimination on the basis of tariffs or speed. 
 

	It was reported in May that the six-member government committee concurred that zero-rating plans which involve commercial arrangements at the back-end violate the idea of net neutrality. 
 

	The official added that the government could make an exemption for delivery of essential government services such as education and health which might be delivered on priority. 
 

	The report has further indicated that the policy on Net Neutrality must promote competition and encourage startup culture in the country, another official told the financial daily. 
 

	It has also stated that ISPs, including telecom operators, should be disallowed from using 'traffic management' as a technique to slow down certain content. 
 The <keyword id="161280" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="DoT-committee">DoT committee</keyword> was set up in January 2015. The committee members met more than 45 organisations including Facebook, Google, Flipkart, Amazon, Paytm, Viber and <keyword id="6377887" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Skype">Skype</keyword> and telecom service providers as well as various public interest groups before submitting its report. The report comes even as the <keyword id="30356" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Telecom-Regulatory-Authority-of-India">Telecom Regulatory Authority of India</keyword>, after finishing a consultation process, is preparing its own report. The consultation, and launch of <keyword id="6354287" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Bharti-Airtel">Bharti Airtel</keyword>'s <keyword id="15491" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Airtel">Airtel</keyword> Zero plan — under which certain apps can be accessed by users free of charge, with the app makers paying telco for users' access — caused a furore, especially on social media. 

	According to the first official, the report has suggested that any policy on Net Neutrality should ensure interconnection between ISPs, cellular providers and app makers as needed and as per rules, and the government should intervene only when needed. 
	 
	(Image: Indiatimes)

Net Neutrality: DoT not in the favour of telcos’ zero rating plans

With stand up comedians, politicians, actors and notable personalities voicing out their support for <keyword id="6391709" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Net-neutrality">net neutrality</keyword>, thus ensuring Internet remain free and democratic all across the Web, the issue of net neutrality is yet to rest in peace. 
 An Indian telecom operator’s introduction of <keyword id="15491" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Airtel">Airtel</keyword> Zero last to last week added more fuel to the fire. While eCommerce giant <keyword id="6354742" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Flipkart">Flipkart</keyword> has publicly declared its backing out from Airtel Zero, the market watchers believe the game isn’t over. In an alarming news report by the Economic Times, it is known, the very strength of Internet—it's a vast global network—also makes it uniquely vulnerable to access manipulation. This vulnerability is greater because mobile phones have displaced personal computers as the main Internet access point for consumers. 
Telecom companies can easily create access barriers, keep competition out, give unfair advantage to established Internet businesses and harm both innovation and consumer welfare. Technology entrepreneurs ET spoke to were unanimous in their view that keeping Internet free was crucial for both consumers and business. 
 
Sunal Jain, founder and CEO of @MobiNxt, an app developer told the financial daily, "Without net neutrality, startups will fail...consumers won't be ready to pay for a new, innovative product." Jain's point was that a startup's initial investments were already formidable—in servers, government fees, HR—and an Internet that raised entry barrier by making them pay to, say, telecom companies would be a big blow for India's newest entrepreneurial force. Experts agree. Prasanth Sugathan, Counsel at Software Freedom Law Center, told ET that Digital India, a big government plan, will not take off without net neutrality that promises a level playing field. The ET elaborates, Google search and Google's email service, <keyword id="51500" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Gmail">Gmail</keyword>, wouldn't today be the consumer-friendly, super-efficient global winners had Internet run on the idea that first movers will enjoy special access. Google's search service was preceded by <keyword id="6363100" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Yahoo">Yahoo</keyword>'s and products like Ask Jeeves and Alta Vista. Gmail was launched after Microsoft's Hotmail had become dominant. 
 And thanks to net neutrality, even Google lost its Orkut, which was in play long before <keyword id="6354630" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Mark-Zuckerberg">Mark Zuckerberg</keyword> dreamed up a social network in a university dorm, was beaten by Facebook, which also outsmarted <keyword id="27899" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="MySpace">MySpace</keyword>, even though the latter was backed by <keyword id="57162" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Rupert-Murdoch">Rupert Murdoch</keyword>. Microsoft had tried an early form of net non-neutrality by proposing a separate space on Internet called Mozaic. Mozilla was the response, a browser that worked on open source. Mozilla, incidentally, was the short and spice up form of the phrase 'Mozaic Killer', according to the Economic Times. 
 
Indiatimes.com (a venture from BCCL, which owns this newspaper) was an early mover in the eCommerce game. But because net is neutral, a startup like Flipkart could emerge as the winner and today, Flipkart has to keep in mind where the next eCommerce winner will come from. 
 
Everyone's favourite Internet fact provider and fact checker, Wikipedia, would have not taken off as free, open sourced content had the long-established and pay-for-use Encyclopedia been able to privilege itself on the net. India's thriving second hand goods online marketplaces, Quikr, OLX, needed a neutral net. Had the quality of their sites been affected by special access given to established, bigger players, consumers wouldn't have wasted time testing these new marketplaces, the financial daily concludes. 
 
(Image: India Times)

Net Neutrality isn’t that simple, critics fear manipulation

<keyword id="6391709" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Net-neutrality">Net Neutrality</keyword> debate has been on for few months now. Though not firm action or decisions have been taken so far in this regard, but people were waiting to hear from the DoT panel what the future of Internet would be like in India. And guess what the panel has just proposed? 
 According to a PTI report, the panel has asked the government to “Regulate domestic calls made using Internet-based calling applications such as <keyword id="6377887" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Skype">Skype</keyword>, WhatsApp and Viber at par with phone call services offered by telecom operators.” 
 The panel’s openly shared its disapproval for projects like <keyword id="6354576" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Facebook">Facebook</keyword>'s Internet.org, which allow access to certain websites without mobile data charges and said that such apps should be disallowed. 
 The panel further told PTI, "In the case of Over-The-Top (<keyword id="1245953" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="OTT">OTT</keyword>) VoIP international calling services, a liberal approach may be adopted. However, in the case of domestic calls (local and national), communication services by TSPs (telecom service providers) and OTT communication services may be treated similarly from a regulatory angle for the present.” 
 The Committee is chaired by <keyword id="2953221" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="DoT-Advisor-for-Technology">DoT Advisor for Technology</keyword> A K Bhargava and members in the panel include A K Mittal, V Umashankar, <keyword id="219238" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shashi-Ranjan-Kumar">Shashi Ranjan Kumar</keyword>, G Narendra Nath and R M Agarwal. 
 
The neutrality debate took the entire country by storm when telecom operator Airtel launched a platform, Airtel Zero, that allow free access of some websites on its network. However, the companies were asked to pay Airtel for joining the platform. 
 
PTI report further shares how the panel discussed Facebook's Internet.org and said that until April 2015, Internet.org users could have free access for only a few websites, and Facebook's role as gatekeeper in determining what websites were on that list was seen as violating Net neutrality. 
 
Below is a summarized view of DoT panel proposal: 
1. "Collaborations between telecom operators and content providers that enable such gate-keeping role to be played by any entity should be actively discouraged". However, the panel approved ‘zero rating platform’ after telecom operators compared it with a toll-free number. 
2. Proposes "ex-ante determination" and "ex-post regulation" model for dealing with tariff plan, including zero rating. 
3. Recommended that OTT players should be brought under regulation to comply with national security norms like telecom operators in the country do.

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