Net neutrality: Ravi Shankar Prasad says Indian govt supports fair Internet access

Amidst growing fears that the government will rule in favor of telecom operators and bring in anti net neutrality laws, Ravi Shankar Prasad has assured consumers that this is not the case. Accordingly, the authorities have pledged to provide fair access to the Internet to the citizens of India.

This news comes soon after the Cellular Operators’ Association of India (COAI) dubiously claimed to have the support of 4 million mobile subscribers across the country. As explained previously, its ‘Sabka Internet, Sabka Vikas’ venture which is supposed to have won the telecom industry body so many votes can be called nothing short of a push against net neutrality.

The COAI’s aforesaid campaign asked folks to send a missed call to 1800 270 6899, indicating they stand for ‘Sabka Internet, Sabka Vikas’. For those who thought they were voting for net neutrality, part of the promotion’s agenda demands a uniform regulatory framework for similar services and to give people the choice to access solutions which make the Internet affordable.

In simple words, this means asking the government to let companies like Reliance, Airtel, Vodafone, Idea Cellular and others charge subscribers extra for using apps like Skype or WhatsApp, and supporting platforms like Airtel Zero that deliver people access to select websites or services. Prasad’s latest assurance will offer temporary relief until the net neutrality debate settles down.

As PTI reports, members of the Rajya Sabha representing all the political parties spoke in support of net neutrality. Additionally, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) was severely criticized for introducing its controversial consultation paper which kicked off all the unrest.