TRAI Bans Differential Pricing; Rules In Favour of Net Neutrality.

[Rohith_Kumar_Sp]

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India on Monday issued the 'Prohibition of Discriminatory Tariffs for Data Services Regulations, 2016' that bars service providers from offerring or charging discriminatory tariffs for data services on the basis of content.

 

Based on all the 24 lakh (35,379$) responses TRAI received in December over their Consultation Paper on ‘Differential Pricing for Data Services’, it has issued the following mandatory regulations:

No service provider shall enter into any arrangement or contract that has the effect of discriminatory tariffs for data services.

They also added, “Prohibition of discriminatory tariff is necessary to ensure that service providers continue to fulfill obligations in keeping internet open and non-discriminatory”.

The regulations will be implemented on immediately and TRAI has also said that if violated, companies might have to pay fines starting from Rs.50,000 to a disincentive of Rs. 50 lakhs.

• No service provider can offer or charge discriminatory tariffs for data services on the basis of content.
• No service provider shall enter into any arrangement, agreement or contract, by whatever name called, with any person, natural or legal, that the effect of discriminatory tariffs for data services being offered or charged by the service provider for the purpose of evading the prohibition in this regulation.
• Reduced tariff for accessing or providing emergency services, or at times of public emergency has been permitted.
• Financial disincentives for contravention of the regulation have also been specified
• TRAI may review these regulations after a period of two years.
   

A service provider may reduce tariff for accessing or providing emergency services, the body ruled. TRAI may review these regulations after a period of two years.

TRAI will also levy a penalty of Rs. 50,000 (google to convert 50k into USD) a day for discriminatory tariffs charged by service providers.

This comes amid an ongoing debate over net neutrality in the country.
 

Earlier, the regulatory body had issued two consultation papers,one in December 2016 about differential data pricing and the one in early 2015 about over-the-top (OTT) services.

The consultation paper on differential data pricing had raised concern over zero-rating tariff models a practice wherein service providers offer free data to users for select applications and websites and the paper had become key to the debate on Net neutrality.
 

According to Internet activists, this model violates the principle of Net neutrality as it restricts access to free, open Internet. Facebook’s Free Basic initiative has come under severe criticism in India as it is based on a zero-rating model. TRAI has also asked Reliance Communication, Facebook’s partner in India for Free Basics, to put the service on hold till the authority considers all the details and terms and conditions of the service.
 

In case you’re still figuring out, why this is such a huge blow to Facebook, they have spent a whopping Rs. 300 crores (44,224,567$) to advertise for and encourage people to sign up for their Free Basics.

TRAI Chairman RS Sharma added,

Quote

“Anything on the internet cannot be differentially priced.”

 

 

 

context for those who are abroad :

 

 

 

 

 

 

[You_are_a_cunt]

Congrats to customers!

[Sidiox]

This is very good. It sucks for the people over there who wanted FB, but it's important to respect net neutrality. Congrats India, you did something good, something better than the US would have done. 

[That Norwegian Guy]

WTF is a "crore"

Is 300 of them equivalent to 1 or 2 potato.

Lakhs? Those swim in rivers, not wallets.

[Rohith_Kumar_Sp]

6 minutes ago, That Norwegian Guy said:

WTF is a "crore"

Is 300 of them equivalent to 1 or 2 potato.

Lakhs? Those swim in rivers, not wallets.

1 - 1 rupee

10 - 10 rupees

100 - 100 rupees

1,000 - 1000 rupees

10,000 - thousand rupees

1,00,000 - 1 lakh

10,00,000 - 10 lakhs 

1,00,00,000 - 1 crore 

10,00,00,000 - 10 crores 

 

1$

10$

100$

1000$

10,000$

100,000$

1,000,000 =  million

100,000,000 = 100 million 

1,000,000,000 = 1 billion

Indian Quotation><b>    Amount><b>    International Quotation
10 Lakhs    1,000,000.00    1 Million
1 Crore    10,000,000.00    10 Million
10 Crores    100,000,000.00    100 Million
100 Crores    1,000,000,000.00    1 Billion

[That Norwegian Guy]

24 minutes ago, Rohith_Kumar_Sp said:

Snip

I think you missed the point. This is not an Indian forum, it's international. Nobody here can be expected to know what they mean, so translate the number to international standards.

[Rohith_Kumar_Sp]

4 minutes ago, That Norwegian Guy said:

I think you missed the point. This is not an Indian forum, it's international. Nobody here can be expected to know what they mean, so translate the number to international standards.

idk, my title starts with TRAI, nobody expects to understand what that is either, so if you want me to explain what's what i was glad to do so, i don't understand what exactly is your problem here, i did translate those numbers into international in my previous post. lemme know if you find anything else confusing. 

[dbinoj]

Another good, clean summary written by scroll.in: http://scroll.in/article/803227/trai-didnt-just-ban-free-basics-it-also-cleared-the-way-for-internet-that-is-actually-free

 

Quote

"To strike a balance and in view of the need to bring more users on the internet, this prohibition shall not apply to other forms of tariff differentiation that are entirely independent of content. For instance, providing limited free data that enables a user to access the entire internet is not prohibited."

— TRAI

 

Actual release by Indian Government: http://www.trai.gov.in/WriteReadData/WhatsNew/Documents/Regulation_Data_Service.pdf

 

The fine amount ISPs should pay for violating net neutrality mentioned in the Govenment's PDF are Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 50,00,000 (Approx US$735 to US$73550) per day.

The new regulation also allows ISPs to make certain services free / available at low tariff for the benefit of the public in case of emergencies.

 

Quote from the regulations PDF:

Quote

4. Exemption for certain content.
Notwithstanding anything contained in regulation 3, a service provider may reduce tariff for accessing or providing emergency services, or at times of grave public emergency: Provided that such tariff shall be reported to the Authority within seven working days from the date of implementation of the reduced tariff and the decision of the Authority as to whether such reduced tariff qualifies under this regulation shall be final and binding.

 

Mark Zuckerberg's reply: facebook.com/zuck/posts/10102641883915251

 

 

 

 

[the.fire.bird]

And we won. On your face Airtel and Facebook! 

[Bouzoo]

On 2/8/2016 at 2:33 PM, Rohith_Kumar_Sp said:

1,00,000

10,00,000

1,00,00,000 

10,00,00,000 

What... kind of number formatting is that?

[Rohith_Kumar_Sp]

2 minutes ago, Bouzoo said:

What... kind of number formatting is that?

the one that's used in India. 

 

[Bensemus]

2 hours ago, Rohith_Kumar_Sp said:

he one that's used in India. 

I've never seen numbers separated in groups of 2. Seems unnatural to me where everything is done in 3 or 4. Like when reading out a number with no breaks like 20483039284 I would say 204, 830, 392, 84. We humans are interesting creatures. Despite how we are all part of the same species there are so many differences between us. 

[Rohith_Kumar_Sp]

6 minutes ago, Bensemus said:

I've never seen numbers separated in groups of 2. Seems unnatural to me where everything is done in 3 or 4. Like when reading out a number with no breaks like 20483039284 I would say 204, 830, 392, 84. We humans are interesting creatures. Despite how we are all part of the same species there are so many differences between us. 

it's just out currencies are not that high compared to USD, so it was best for us to have them groups of 2 instead of 3, the starting 3 digits are grouped to 3, and then after its 2. 

[Bensemus]

6 minutes ago, Rohith_Kumar_Sp said:

it's just out currencies are not that high compared to USD, so it was best for us to have them groups of 2 instead of 3, the starting 3 digits are grouped to 3, and then after its 2. 

I don't really understand that.

[dbinoj]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_numbering_system

 

This wikipedia article contains useful info behind the idea of Indian number system. It should help in understanding why numbers are grouped like that. It helped me learn a few things today . Looks like they continue to follow an ancient number system. 

[kameshss]

Yay! It's a right and welcome decision in the prevailing situation.

[linuxfan66]

While i do no think full strength net neutrality is needed in oz yet...in india where they are giving unfairly biased free internet this was needed greatly...

[Trik'Stari]

Good to see that a (and I mean no offense by this) third world country can do what the US and Australia can't.

 

Good work India, good work.