New Delhi: The telecom regulator Trai on Tuesday backed net neutrality in the country by recommending that telecom operators or internet service providers cannot provide preferential treatment in terms of either increasing or slowing down internet speed while giving access to any website or its application.
This means a consumer will get same internet speed irrespective of which website or service he or she is browsing.
“The ‘discriminatory treatment’ in the context of treatment of content would include any form of discrimination, restriction or interference in the treatment of content, including practices like blocking, degrading, slowing down or granting preferential speed or treatment to any content,” said Trai. It said that service providers should be restricted from entering into any agreement or a contract that leads to discriminatory treatment.
The recommendations come against the backdrop of fear that big companies with deep pockets can give money to internet service providers so that consumers get fast or free access to their websites or services and thereby killing the start-up ecosystem in the country.
In 2016, Trai had by prohibited discriminatory tariffs for data, which barred companies to provide a subsidy for data when a consumer accessed select services on the internet. Like Amazon or Google and even India’s own Flipkart have started small from rented rooms or garage underlining the importance of maintaining level playing field between big firms and start-ups.
“No one owns Internet... So, it should be open and accessible to everyone,” said Trai chairman R.S. Sharma. He said that Internet is an important platform for the country, especially in the context of innovation, startups, online transactions, various government applications, and the Digital India programme.
“So, it is important that the platform is kept open and free and not cannibalised,” Mr Sharma said. Trai chief observed that networks should be neutral to the content being accessed. “Networks should not prefer one content over other... should not block or offer fast lane (to certain content),” he added.
Last week, US federal communications commission chairman Ajit Pai, unveiled plans to rescind so-called net neutrality rules.
