Govt extends deadline for comments on net neutrality to 20 August
PremiumDecision taken after a sudden surge in public comments on the proposed framework
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New Delhi: The government on Saturday extended the deadline for submission of public comments on the proposed policy framework for Net neutrality till 20 August. There has been a sudden surge in public comments on the proposed framework and the submission of views was earlier scheduled to close on Saturday.
“Last date for submission of suggestions and comments on report of committee on Net neutrality through discussion forum under MyGov.in has been extended till August 20, 2015," the department of telecommunications said in a notice on its website. The total number of public comments on the Net neutrality recommendations by a panel set up by telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has risen to more than 33,600, from just around 700 on 14 August.
The surge was seen following campaigns by online groups such as Save The Internet and AIB.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) in April had received more than 1 million comments on its paper over Net neutrality with the majority demanding implementation of ideal Net neutrality. Net neutrality calls for equal treatment to all Internet traffic without any priority treatment to an entity or company on the basis of payment for content or service providers such as telecom companies, which is seen as discriminatory.
The panel has proposed regulation of domestic calls through Internet-based apps such as Skype, WhatsApp and Viber by putting them on par with services offered by telecom operator.
However, the committee has suggested a liberal approach to app-based international calls. The pricing difference is around 12.5 times in the case of a voice call and 16 times for messages between services offered by telecom operators and OTT players, as per data put together by Trai.
The debate picked up in India after Bharti Airtel announcing a plan to separately charge for VoIP calls at standard rates. The company withdrew separate charge plan following protest from public. The debate further heated up after Airtel launched a zero-rating platform that allowed free access of those websites who paid for joining the platform. PTI
