 "Net-neutrality vs differential pricing: The story so far")
In what is seen as a blow to social media giant Facebook’s ‘Free Basics’ programme, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India on Monday ruled out differential pricing for internet service providers. The regulator also barred companies from entering into such arrangements on the basis of discriminatory pricing for content.
Telecom service providers will be prohibited from offering different tariffs based on content, service, application or any other data that users are accessing or transmitting on the internet, according to Trai.
Business Standard takes a look at the whole controversy around differential pricing for content on the internet and how the story has progressed so far.
March 27, 2015
Trai publishes a ‘Consultation Paper on Regulatory Framework for Over-the-top (OTT) services’, a 117-page document. This paper talks about net neutrality in India and how it can change the way we consume data. The regulator seeks public views on it, and sets April 24, 2015, as the deadline for sending views.
April 6, 2015
Bharti Airtel launches Airtel Zero, a new marketing platform that allows customers to access apps of participating developers at zero data charges. It draws criticism from netizens for violating the concept of net-neutrality.
April 13, 2015
Trai receives over 100,000 emails in support of net-neutrality. The campaign (www.savetheinternet.in) had asked the public to send submissions to Trai.
April 14, 2015
Public outrage forces e-commerce platform Flipkart to pull out of the ‘Airtel Zero’ partnership. It is followed by online travel company Cleartrip.
December 12, 2015
Trai floats ‘Consultation Paper on Differential Pricing for Data Services’, raising concerns over zero-rating platforms being offered by telecom service providers. The paper seeks comments on whether or not such differential pricing should be allowed.
December 17, 2015
Facebook begins the campaign ‘Save Free Basics’, asks users to send emails from their Facebook account in support of ‘digital freedom’.
December 18, 2015
Savetheinternet.in volunteers come together to draft responses to the four specific questions asked by Trai.
December 22, 2015
Facebook taps into its user base outside of India to garner support for ‘Free Basics’, by sending notifications to users in the US, the UK, Canada and Australia, among other countries.
December 23, 2015
Reliance Communications, Facebook’s sole Free Basics partner in India, confirms that Trai has asked it to put the service on hold.
December 29, 2015
Founders of nine start-ups and academics from the Indian Institutes of Technology and Indian Institute of Science write to Trai opposing differential pricing.
December 30, 2015
Industry bodies IAMAI and Nasscom make their submissions to Trai, oppose blanket differential pricing. Meanwhile, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg reaches out to India entrepreneurs seeking their support.
December 30, 2015
Trai extends deadline, asks Free Basics supporters for specific responses.
December 31, 2015
Trai says it has received over 1.8 million responses; declares ‘Save Free Internet’ responses invalid as they do not answer the specific questions that had been asked.
January 1, 2016
Trai asks Facebook if it communicated to users that they needed to answer specific questions put up by Trai.
January 7, 2016
Last day of comments submission. Some 2.4 million comments recorded; 1.89 million for Free Basics and 0.48 million for ‘Save the Internet’.
January 13, 2016
Trai and Facebook spar over the exact number of responses; Facebook says 1.4 million users resubmitted response, some unsubscribed to newsletters.
January 14, 2016
Last day for receiving counter comments.
January 18, 2016
Trai alleges Facebook is trying to reduce public consultation exercise to “crudely majoritarian orchestrated opinion poll”.
January 19, 2016
Trai uploads its email exchange with Facebook on its website.
January 20, 2016
Facebook replies and puts up letter on the Facebook India page.
January 21, 2016
Open-house discussion on ‘differential pricing for data services’ consultation paper begins to a near full house.
February 8, 2016
Trai rules in favour of net-neutrality; issues the ‘Prohibition of Discriminatory Tariffs for Data Services Regulations, 2016’, barring service providers from offering or charging discriminatory tariffs for data services on the basis of content.
