The latest consultation paper by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India on telecom providers charging different prices for browsing different websites — the so-called differential pricing of data — comes across as a breath of fresh air after the last one, issued under former chairman Rahul Khullar. While Khullar started with the assumption that net […]
With operators like Bharti Airtel and Idea Cellular asking the government to be allowed to block certain web applications that compete with their own offerings, data-centric service provider MTS has declared that it will never block any web traffic on its network. Sistema Shyam TeleServices – which runs its services under the MTS brand – […]
The fight over preserving net neutrality (the right to use data as and how a consumer wants) is restarting and the first shot has been fired by NGO Telecom Watchdog. Echoing widespread sentiment, the NGO attacked the recommendations of an internal Department of Telecom Committee that said that calls between WhatsApp users and others should […]
Department of Telecom’s Committee on Net Neutrality said the use of data packs by consumers to make voice calls amounted to bypassing “existing licensing and regulatory regime”. The committee therefore said that such a state of affairs must be rectified. It did not specify how consumers were “bypassing regulations” by using their data packs for […]
Rupert Murdoch-owned Start India – one of India’s biggest broadcasting companies – has come out strongly against the Indian telecom regulator’s move to let telecom operators side-step the so-called net neutrality principles in the country. UPDATE: Airtel Digital has removed all Star channels from all its packs. https://ultra.news/s-e/38651/bhartis-airtel-digital-removes-all-star-india-channels-from-its-packs Star India, formerly Start TV, wondered why […]
The main argument put forward by telecom operators in the ongoing net neutrality consultation with regulator TRAI is that they are forced to pay a lot of levies, which the apps do not pay any of them. This, according to the service providers, creates a ‘non level playing field’ and therefore, the app providers, such […]
Idea Cellular has warned that companies like itself will have to raise data prices to 108-250 paise/MB (Rs 1,105-2,560 per GB) if government imposes net neutrality on wireless providers. This would required as voice call rates will fall to 7.5 paise per minute if net neutrality is allowed in the current situation, Idea Cellular said. […]
NASSCOM proposes a synergistic model for Internet platforms, applications and TSPs while strongly advocating net-neutrality National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) made a strong pitch for India to continue with net neutrality, responding to the TRAI consultative paper on Regulatory framework for OTT services. “NASSCOM believes that the Users Right to Choose is […]
A Change.org petition on preserving net neutrality in India is arguably the fastest growing Indian petitions on the global campaigning site ever in terms of sign ups. As of now, the petition is getting around 3,000-4,000 supporters every ten minutes, and has completed its target of getting 25,000 signatures. The initial target is likely to […]
Reliance Communications has started offering free access to its customers to a select group of around 33 websites free of charge to its subscribers. It was not clear whether the ‘free Internet’ platform from Reliance Communications is open to all websites free of charge, or only for those websites who are willing to pay the […]
In an especially strong attack against perceived threats to its Internet-based business, the Times of India group has sought regulatory intervention to ensure what is popularly called Net Neutrality, or the concept that internet service providers must charge only from the end consumer. In other words, the Times of India group wants TRAI to ensure […]
