Netizens protest against tariff hike
Internet users to suspend connection on Oct 31
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2014-10-13 04:46 GMT
KOZHIKODE: While the country is busy protesting against the hike in essential commodities, nobody seems to bother to raise a question against the frequent tariff hike by telecom service providers in terms of internet charges both for postpaid and prepaid. However, fed up with the “intolerable” and frequent internet tariff hike, a group of youngsters in the State have launched a protest seeking public support through social networking sites like WhatsApp and Facebook to boycott internet for a day.
The protestors have asked the users of internet to put off their internet connection completely for one whole day on October 31. The campaign message is being passed to thousands of internet users in the State and also Malayalees working outside the country.
According to Geethu K Sunny, an employee at Technopark, Thiruvananthapuram the attitude of the mobile and internet service providers to take advantage of the weakness of internet users is completely illogical. A 2 GB internet pack was available for Rs 98 about five months ago. Then the companies started charging Rs 155 for a 1GB internet pack. “What is even more shocking is that just 14 days after hiking the rate and bringing down the data usage to 1 GB, the companies have restructured their tariff and are now charging Rs 155 for a 500 MB data pack,” Geethu said.
Many are joining this group of protestors and have decided to extend their full support by switching off their data connection for 24 hours on October 31.
“Whoever has came up with the idea of launching the protest, I put forward my wholehearted support for the campaign and will turn off my mobile internet connection on October 31 to show my protest”, said Abin S, a city based bank employee.
Abin feels that mobile and internet service providers are exploiting the dependence of the young generation on internet and are trying to exploit them. “It is high time that government steps in and brings in a regulation regarding internet tariff,” he added.