Following an uproar over a Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) proposal to regulate over-the-top internet services, like applications with the ability to make phone calls, the issue of net neutrality has gotten support from several quarters.
As the debate on net neutrality continued to rage across the country, the issue garnered more support with the Times Group and NDTV declaring their support.
A statement released on the Times Internet blog said, "The Times of India and its language websites like Navbharat Times, Maharashtra Times, Ei Samay and Nav Gujarat Samay, that have together been spearheading the movement for net-neutrality in India, appeal to all publishers to jointly withdraw from internet.org... As for the Times of India itself, the group commits to withdraw from internet.org if its direct competitors – India Today, NDTV, IBNLive, NewsHunt, and BBC – also pull out. The group also encourages its fellow language and English news publishers – Dainik Jagran, Aaj Tak, Amar Ujala, Maalai Malar, Reuters, and Cricinfo – to join the campaign for net neutrality and withdraw from zero rate schemes."
NDTV head Prannoy Roy also pledged the channel's support for net neutrality and announced its withdrawal from Facebook and Reliance Communications-promoted platform Internet.Org.
Following an uproar over a Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) proposal to regulate over-the-top internet services, like applications with the ability to make phone calls, the issue of net neutrality has gotten support from several quarters. Net neutrality implies equal treatment to all Internet traffic and any priority given to an application or company on payment basis is seen as violating the concept.
Facing criticism that its Internet.org initiative violated net neutrality, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg asserted his support for it in an open Q&A-
E-commerce major Flipkart's proposed tie-up with Airtel on its "Zero" platform was at the centre of the raging debate over the need to maintain equal Internet access for all. On Tuesday, Flipkart decided to bury its negotiations with Airtel and committed itself fully to the cause of net neutrality in India.
Flipkart, in a statement, said, "We will be committing ourselves to the larger cause of Net Neutrality in India. We will be internally discussing over the next few days, the details of actions we will take to support the cause."
Following Flipkart's withdrawal Airtel announced its support for net-neutrality and said that its 'Airtel Zero' platform would be open to all on non-discriminatory basis. "Airtel fully supports the concept of Net Neutrality. There have been some misconceptions about our toll free data platform ? Airtel Zero. It is a not a tariff proposition but is an open marketing platform," Airtel said in a statement.
After Flipkart's move, Cleartrip on Wednesday pulled out of Facebook- and Reliance Communications-promoted platform Internet.Org amid raging debate over Net neutrality.
Meanwhile, the debate on net neutrality prompted the government to address the issue and it was indicated that it will go by the opinion of the majority of people. The government has sought responses of people by April 24. The Opposition parties, however, on Tuesday called for ending this debate immediately, by scrapping of the TRAI consultation paper and also disband the committee set up by telecom ministry. Congress said it will raise the issue in Parliament forcefully when its sits again on April 20, keeping in view that India has 24.31 crore "Internet Users", out of which 17.30 crore are "Mobile Internet Users'.
While, the BJP evaded expressing its view on net neutrality, saying the government has already set up a committee to look into the matter, Congress said the phenomenal technological revolution was leading to an unholy greed to profiteer by telecom and internet service providers.
With agency inputs.
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