Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Chairman Rahul Khullar has assured Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik that his views on net neutrality will be taken into consideration with all seriousness and allayed apprehensions about introduction of licence for online services as well as restricting access to internet.
Responding to Patnaik’s earlier communication, Khullar said there is a Government commitment to an open-internet-for-all, adding that as a public policy this is the only way to ensure both social inclusion (narrowing digital divide down) as well as nurturing creativity and innovation.
Earlier, Patnaik had written to the TRAI Chairman opposing the implications suggested in the regulatory authority's consultation paper.
Dr Khullar said the consultation process is still underway and even after comments and counter-comments are received, the authority will hold open house discussions (OHD) before concluding the consultation. As a part of this exercise, TRAI held one such OHD on consultation paper on media ownership at Bhubaneswar, reminded DrKhullar.
The debate on Net Neutrality has so far been driven by strong emotions, said Dr Khullar, adding that some persons have conflated ideas that were never the intent or the purpose of the Consultation Paper.
While trying to clarify further, Dr Khullar said that the entire effort was never intended to licence online services or limit access to the internet. Such apprehensions are not founded on facts and are entirely misplaced, he said.
However, there are some online services such as communication OTTs, where a conscious decision would have to be taken as there is no level-playing field between telecom operators and OTT operators as they offer exactly similar services such as Whats App, Skype etc. riding on telecom service provider’s pipe, pointed out Dr Khullar.
In his letter, Patnaik had argued that any move to dilute internet freedom would not only lead to economic loss to the booming IT industry, but also impact the poor as several services to them are delivered through the internet.
"It must be noted that this is not an issue of just elite as it is being made out to be. It will affect even the poor because so many services are delivered over the internet today. The Government is trying to extend its services to the people through this medium because it will be effective and inexpensive. Present usage of the net seems to encompass everyone, rich or poor, particularly the younger people," Patnaik had said in his letter.
Patnaik had pointed out that he did not see any justification in limiting the ability of new start-up companies to reach the internet user. "let us remember that the internet is not the market place but the market is made inside the internet," he argued.
Talking about the poor, Patnaik had said, "While the underprivileged deserve much more than what is available, nobody should decide what exactly their requirements are. You cannot force a person to use a certain mobile application because the telecom company believes that it should be doing so."
The Chief Minister had added, "We, therefore, would be wary of any future where equal and non-discriminatory access to growth engine of the internet would be altered, and which is why I strongly believe in the principle of net neutrality."
Patnaik also asked the Telecom Watchdog to ensure that it did not "favor regressive measures such as licencing online services."