 "Mark Zuckerberg")
Expressing disappointment over the telecom regulator's ruling on differential pricing, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg (pictured) said the social media firm was still committed to breaking down barriers to connectivity in India and around the world.
"Internet.org has many initiatives, and we will keep working until everyone has access to the internet. India's telecom regulator decided to restrict programs that provide free access to data. This restricts one of Internet.org's initiatives, Free Basics, as well as programs by other organisations that provide free access to data," he said in a post on Facebook late on Monday.
Facebook's Free Basics, a part of internet.org, had become a non-starter in India following the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) on Monday barring all forms of differential pricing of data services, except in emergency situations. This was a big blow to Free Basics and Airtel Zero but upheld the principles of net neutrality. Violation of rules will attract hefty fines - financial disincentive of Rs 50,000 for each day of contravention, subject to a maximum Rs 50 lakh.
Free Basics allows mobile users to access certain websites without incurring data charges. It was launched in India in partnership with Reliance Communications but Trai asked Rcom to suspend the operations till approval.
Zuckerberg added: "Connecting India is an important goal we won't give up on, because more than a billion people in India don't have access to the internet. We know that connecting them can help lift people out of poverty, create millions of jobs and spread education opportunities. We care about these people, and that's why we're so committed to connecting them.
"Our mission is to make the world more open and connected. That mission continues, and so does our commitment to India. That's why we launched Internet.org with so many different initiatives-including extending networks through solar-powered planes, satellites and lasers, providing free data access through Free Basics, reducing data use through apps, and empowering local entrepreneurs through Express Wi-Fi."
Trai had floated a consultation paper on differential pricing asking users to specifically answer the queries in the paper. Facebook had led an aggressive campaign, the estimated cost for which was around Rs 300 crore, in favour of Free Basics, urging its users to send emails to Trai. The regulator had lambasted Facebook for making its consultation paper into an "opinion poll". Trai had received the highest comments - 2.4 million - on its paper, out of which almost 1.8 million were from Facebook users.
Free Basics had faced a lot of opposition from industry bodies including Nasscom, organisations fighting for net neutrality and even a number of start-ups, including Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma.
On Monday, Trai said telcos would be prohibited from offering different tariffs based on content, service, application or any other data which the user is accessing or transmitting on the internet. However, providing limited free data that enables users to access the entire internet would be allowed. In emergency situations, such as floods and earthquake, operators would be allowed to offer free data plans. "Differential pricing is not in the interest of the consumers, the growth of the internet, and open and non-discriminatory internet," said Trai Chairman R S Sharma
