While India’s telecom department hesitates to reveal its stance on net neutrality, Reliance Communications has announced that Internet.org by Facebook has reached one million citizens. To put it more precisely, the platform which has been renamed as Free Basics, has introduced a million RELIANCE customers to the web since it is only available through this mobile operator.
There has been much debate about the service which provides users access to a select bunch of sites and applications for free. It violates the principal of net neutrality by acting as a walled garden to the worldwide web. Facebook, Reliance and other proponents of Internet.org however claim its benefits to far outweigh its disadvantages.
Gurdeep Singh, Reliance Communications’ Consumer Business CEO, says the company has brought one million people to the internet, within six months of introducing the platform in seven of its telecom circles. At the operator’s Annual General Meeting, he noted that the websites chosen to be included as part of Free Basics are those burning less data, reports PTI.
Notice the use of the word ‘chosen’ here? It means Internet.org has the power to enable big brands to act as gatekeepers. This goes against the spirit of net neutrality. Free Basics essentially has the potential to destroy the web’s reputation as the great leveler, if the poor who make up the majority of the world’s population are told where they can or cannot roam online.
Also see: Facebook won’t withdraw anti-net neutrality platform, to launch low-cost Wi-Fi service
The sites hosted under Internet.org follow strict rules with regards to the content they can display since they have to be light on data use. Reliance has its own portal BabaJob on the platform. Would it allow Naukri to be part of the service if the rival company offered a stripped-down version of its website for consideration? Why haven’t other Indian operators signed up?
Facebook previously stated that 50 percent of people who join Internet.org pay for data within 30 days of coming online for the first time upon recognizing the value of the web. If this is true, then it’s a clear win for Reliance Communications. Out of its 100 million mobile subscribers, 30 percent use data at present. Has Free Basics proven to be a shot in the arm?