Save The Internet, Tell TRAI We Need Network Neutrality

[ Image : The Logical Indian ]

It's a crucial time for net neutrality in India. The Indian telecom regulator, Trai, has published a consultation paper for framing regulations on 'over-the-top' (OTT) services or simply, value added third party internet-based services such as WhatsApp, Skype, Facebook and Viber, among others.

The body has called for comments from all stakeholders (internet users, internet service providers, telcos, industry bodies among others) so that it can make a decision on subjecting internet services to an additional licensing fee and whether these providers should pay telcos for using their internet pipes.

Trai has also asked for views on net neutrality in the Indian context. Net neutrality implies that all websites and services should be treated equal and there should be no discrimination in terms of speed and cost of access. This means that a telco can't block a certain website (because of commercial or other interests) or promote one service over the other. It also means that an internet provider or telco cannot throttle speeds for one service or charge extra. Indian mobile operators say that they have made big infrastructure investments in creating networks and OTT players are getting a free run.

If you don't want your mobile operator to charge extra for WhatsApp, Skype or YouTube and promote its own services over the others, submit your responses to TRAI's twenty questions to the TRAI before April 24, 2015 at advqos@trai.gov.in.

Please sign this petition - click here

Just signing the petition will not help us, we need to send mails to TRAI giving our response (along with justifications) to those 20 questions asked by them. I had already listed out 20 questions that were asked by TRAI. Please have a look at those questions and do send them emails. Click here to view a sample doc containing answers for those 20 questions.

You can even visit www.savetheinternet.in or www.netneutrality.in and send your response either by editing the answers or by directly hitting the send your response button.

The deadline for submission is 24th April 2015