Net Neutrality
Tags: India, Net Neutrality, WhatsApp, Thinking Aloud, Internet

If you are regular on the internet, this term should be very familiar. For last few months, it was familiar thanks to Comcast and others trying to break the internet in the US, and FCC consequently terming it illegal. However, for the last few days, it has become a local affair. Indian TSPs are on the verge of officially breaking the internet. Until it concludes, and there would be a long battle here too, Airtel has already started Airtel Zero. This new platform violates Net Neutrality as well. Here I plan to give you some links about what it is, how you can help in keeping the internet truly secular.

What is net neutrality?

Net neutrality, as the name suggests, is an initiative to keep the internet open and secular. It advocates the idea that all data on the internet should be measured on the same, equal scale. From VoIP calls to the cat picture you shared halfway across the world, should be weighted only based on the data those actions used. Like electricity, it should not matter what appliances you use provided you are making timely payments for the total units you consume at the end of the month. We are currently doing precisely that. At the end of a month, we make payments to our internet service providers for the total data we used. The internet was built like that. As of yesterday, the internet was neutral.

Enter the greedy TSPs (Telecom Service Providers). The internet in all its massive abilities started offering a lot of things to the consumers. Apps like WhatsApp and Viber became ubiquitous and that started eating into revenue streams of TSPs. Soon threatened by those, TSPs proposed a differential pricing model for internet Only for their Commercial Benefit. There was/is no consumer demand for such a change in policies. They started segmentation of the internet and proposed varying speeds/access/pricing based on the domain. This effectively would turn the internet from the model of electricity to that of cable TV subscription. If you are using Google services then there would be a certain charge, something different for Yahoo, and something else for Facebook. This breaks the information Highway. They have no right in sniffing the data I am accessing, so it is a privacy concern too. To put it other words, it is like a plumber is charging you differently for water you consume for bathing and cooking and car washing. This is ridiculous and reprehensible. This NEEDS TO STOP.

A recently launched website netneutrality.in has a lot of getting started material on what is net neutrality and why it is essential. If you do a simple Google search, you will be presented with a plethora sites, explaining what is net neutrality using ample variety of examples and analogies. I urge you to please have a look. Here is one of many gems.

Pretend ice cream stores gave away free milkshakes. But you had to buy a straw to drink them. But that’s okay because you still get free milkshakes. One day you’re drinking a free milkshake and you look down and the guy that sold you the straw is pinching it almost shut. You can still get your milkshake, but it’s really hard and takes a lot longer. So you say, “Hey! Stop that!” And the straw guy says, “NO! Not until the ice cream store pays me money.” And you say, “But I already paid you money for the straw.” And the straw guy says, “I don’t care. I just want more money.” — Source

If you are in no mood to read long texts like this one, you can see a post full of memes or here is how John Oliver puts it,

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpbOEoRrHyU[/embed]

Current State

So what is the state currently? Currently, TRAI is in a deliberation of what to do. They have published a consultation paper[pdf]. They have tried to surmise a lot of factors concerning various aspects of the debate. This is a particularly inconsiderate 118 pages document to dissuade you from reading. So some noble souls have published an abridged version here[Google Docs]. Under various sections, the consultation paper asks a few questions. In total, there are 20 questions which are open for public response. TRAI has kept it open for reactions. We need as much support and we need to march together towards keeping the internet secular, open and free of greedy commercial interests.

Good guys at NDTV gadgets have answered all those questions very well. Definitely, that is not the only post answering those questions. You can find a few more if you go to Reddit or Google.

It all boils down to this. Businesses are Darwinian. Those who can not innovate, perish. Indian TSPs are lacking big time in providing the most basic services and customer support. Instead of innovating and providing new services, they are finding potentially marketable opportunities to maximize profits. India is definitely not the first country in this pickle. Many countries in the world have faced this problem and have already dealt with it effectively. The sheer audacity of Indian TSPs in assuming the lack of interest from an average consumer needs to be questioned. Surprisingly, the garb these TSPs pull to show they care for the big picture is both deceiving in funny in its attempt to explain. We need to show that we are willing to stage a protest if matters come to it. Several RTI requests have been filed questioning who wrote the consultation paper and how the data was captured.

What can you do?

Go through as many links as you can, at least, most of which I have provided. Form an opinion. Roll up your sleeves. Express your opinion in clean and direct manner and send it over to TRAI. Here is the email address that they have published, advqos@trai.gov.in. All Internet and Mobile users are informed that they need to send in their replies latest by April 24, 2015. The last date for counter comments is May 8th, 2015. This means you have about 14 days, including two weekends to do your bit. I am asking you to treat this as a high priority item. Do not stop at mailing TRAI. Also, spread the word, sign this change.org petition, discuss this in your office during lunch and coffee breaks. Initiate a debate on your Twitter and Facebook timelines. Spread the awareness. Believe me, Internet NEEDS to stay open. It is the greatest leveled field where everyone gets a fair and equal chance to prosper. We need to make sure that the internet is not at the whims and mercy of few TSPs. We need to protect it. We Need to ACT NOW.