DoT Releases Report, But Does it Endorse Net Neutrality or Not?
A DoT panel releases report on net neutrality supporting OTT application services like Facebook, WhatsApp and Skype.
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DoT has released a net neutrality report detailing 24 recommendations from the public policy objective.
A six-member committee formed under Telecom Commission Member A K Bhargava recommended that core principles of the net neutrality be adhered to.
The report said OTT apps such as Whatsapp, Facebook and Skype have been traditionally available in the market for some time and enhance consumer welfare and increase productivity. Therefore, such services should be actively encouraged and any impediments in expansion and growth of OTT application services should be removed.
Click here for a detailed summary of the recommendations.
However, net enthusiast and journalist Nikhil Pahwa has tweeted saying the report does not support net neutrality.
He has even made an abridged version of the alleged DoT report.
- Licensing for domestic VoIP, no licensing for international VoIP, no licensing for messaging, no licensing for regular apps
- zero rating to be allowed on a case by case basis by TRAI, TRAI should address complaints about NN violations
- Internet.org is bad because of collusion, content companies cannot play gatekeeper
- Managed and enterprise services can be exempt from Net Neutrality requirements
- Legitimate traffic management is allowed, but shouldn’t be app specific. Deep Packet Inspection to look at app and its content is not allowed.
- Security is paramount and need to figure out how to intercept all traffic, need to look at security issues via interministerial consultations
- Privacy is important but have to wait for a privacy law
- Can include net neutrality clause in current laws instead of creating a new law
- Search-Neutrality issues are important, but we’ll look at them later
- Not looking at CDN, which are best left to be looked at under unfair trade practices law
Will India’s objective stand uphold net neutrality in India? Share your views on the DoT report in the comments section below.