Placing green card on Net Neutrality, people rejoice “free and fair internet” in India
New Delhi, July 12: India has got another reason to rejoice besides the heavy rains! The country will rejoice over welcoming the unrestricted and free internet accessibility. The government has accepted the telecom regulator’s recommendation to introduce one of the strongest net neutrality protections in the world.
Net neutrality entails service providers to treat all internets traffic equally and prohibits discrimination in the treatment of content, including practices such as degrading, slowing down or granting privileged speeds.
TRAI had issued its recommendations on net neutrality in India in November 2017 asserting that there should be no interruption of equal internet access to everyone, based on just the content. TRAI, in its recommendations, has properly noted that the internet is an open platform and as such internet services must be non-discriminatory. The recommendations - which were the result of a long, multistage consultation process, according to TRAI were then forwarded to the ministry of IT and Communication.
Telecom Secretary Aruna Sundararajan quoted, "The Telecom Commission (TC) today approved net neutrality as recommended by TRAI expect some critical services will be kept out of its purview." Approving the new telecom policy, Telecom Commission has given a nod to accept the National Digital Communications Policy 2018 to seek approval of the Union Cabinet.
Looking at the demographics of India, digital infrastructure has become a need implying to the digital swaying triggered in the country. CEO of Niti Ayog Amitabh Kant pitched in for ensuring digital infrastructure in all districts at the earliest as India must have ease of doing business and enabling policy environment.
According to TRAI, operators must be barred from blocking, degrading or slowing internet traffic selectively. Additionally, they must also refrain from getting into any tie-ups that lead to discriminatory treatment of internet traffic. Licensing terms must also detail the list of bias the operator may have in terms of offering content, the regulatory authority adds.
"This principle would apply to any discriminatory treatment based on the sender or receiver, the network protocols, or the user equipment, but not too specialized services or other exclusions. It would also not restrict the adoption of reasonable traffic management practices by the service provider."
Further, as per TRAI, "Internet of Things (IoT), as a class of service is not excluded from the scope of the restrictions on non-discriminatory treatment." The authority, however, recommends that "CDNs should not be included within the scope of any restrictions on non-discriminatory treatment, which are designed specifically to cover the providers of Internet Access Services."
