This is not going to be a regular news post or an announcement of a phone launch. This post is about Net Neutrality! Yes, it’s all over the news and for all the right reasons. You can have a look at the website which netizens like us created to protect the Internet: Visit SaveTheInternet.in to support the cause.
Let me quickly explain what net neutrality is. As the name suggests, it is the concept that your Internet Service Provider or Telcos should provide access to all websites in ‘neutral’ and unbiased manner. They shouldn’t make its users pay to access certain websites or apps. It should treat all the data on the internet equally. To simplify further, it is the Internet’s guiding principle that “preserves our right to communicate freely online”.
Source: Economic Times
The discussion around Net Neutrality has picked up again because of the consultation paper which TRAI had released in late March. The TRAI paper was issued in response to Airtel’s move which violates Net Neutrality. Airtel had come up with different net packs for its users, where Skype and Viber were costlier than others.
Airtel withdrew this controversial idea as it received a lot of hatred from the netizens and a possible nudge from TRAI.
Now, Airtel has introduced another concept which not only violates Net Neutrality but also favours the big players. The concept is named Airtel Zero. It’s a B2B platform where the companies who want to provide their services for free to Airtel users will pay to Airtel in return. The recent update regarding it was that Flipkart has finalized its deal to be a part of Airtel Zero. Reports suggest that the e-commerce giant will shell out close to Rs. 9 crores/month for this deal.
Such moves by Telecom Operators violate Net Neutrality and it also takes away the power from users, making it unfair. In order to keep the net free and unbiased, it is necessary to support Net Neutrality. Many politicians and celebrities are supporting the cause by signing the petition. You should go to SaveTheInternet.in & click on Respond to TRAI. You can have a look at the video in which AIB, the famous comedians also took a stand to support the cause.
