TRAI Blocks Free Basics: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly Of Net Neutrality

Everything you wanted to know about the net neutrality debate

So that is the end for Free Basics. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) today issued the ‘Prohibition of Discriminatory Tariffs for Data Services Regulations, 2016‘. This in effect upholds net neutrality and bars internet service providers (ISPs) from indulging in discriminatory pricing based on content.

Given below is a selection of pieces on Swarajya which covers all the sides of the net neutrality debate:

1. Zuckerberg’s “Free Basics”: Why The Internest Ayatollahs Are Wrong: R Jagannathan calls out the distorted logic of those clamouring for net neutrality and writes that the time to block Zuckerberg is not now but only if the Free Basics give him monopoly in the internet market

2. How Your Clamour For Net Neutrality Actually Helps Facebook: On how net neutrality enthusiasts clamouring for government intervention on the web will surely kill innovation in the sector, not Free Basics.

3. Is The Net Neutrality And Telecom Pricing Dilemma For Real?: Why telecom service providers are not happy with you using WhatsApp or Viber, and what they might do about it

4. On Net Neutrality: Against The Consensus: If the speed & bandwidth capacity is limited, then why shouldn’t Internet Service Providers prioritize between bandwidth application of, say a hospital, versus the bandwidth application of someone who is streaming porn?

5. TRAI’s Misplaced Rage Against Facebook:  Sanjeev Ahluwalia on why TRAI stand against Facebook was wrong and why net neutrality can be breached if it does not result in a dominant monopoly.

6. Net Neutrality Is Key For #StartUpIndia And #DigitalIndia:  Arvind Gupta on why internet service providers should not discriminate on the basis of access, speed, costs and content.

7. The One-Sided Discourse On Net Neutrality: Five myths about net-neutrality and why you don’t have to take them seriously!