07 April 2015
Net Neutrality argues that every online site or app should be accessible to the consumer without telecom companies charging extra fees for priority access. But India's biggest telecom company, along with one of the country’s top e-retailers, has already violated this principle
Telecom operators have been arguing that Internet services are eating their lunch and it is their ‘right’ to charge this ‘rent’. They have also argued that by charging this ‘rent’ — and let us not make any bones about the term, it is an illegal ‘rent’, no less than a form of extortion that telecom service providers are charging — they are trying to stay afloat. An example that is often cited is that of WhatsApp. This popular online-based messaging service has completely decimated the personal text messaging market. Service providers, who used to rub their hands with glee when they ripped-off customers on festive occasions by charging usurious rates for messaging, have been left high and dry with the advent of WhatsApp and other similar online mobile services.
Net Neutrality has a simple argument — every service and online site should be served to the customer without any undue priority in lieu of money. This money is the extortion or ‘rent’ we spoke about earlier. For example, this could be in the form of charging consumers an additional sum of money to access WhatsApp. Similarly, a telecom service provider can also charge a company to enable customers to access a site or use an application for ‘free’.
Also, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has publicly announced the Digital India programme that aims to make India into a fully digital economy by massive investments. This will benefit telecom service providers by bringing more customers into their fold. But if the principles of Net Neutrality are not adhered to, telecom service providers, no matter the lovely language that they use, will be no better than the hafta-collecting bouncers at the gate.
This will not do.
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