The ban also included Facebook’s Free Basics that provides free Internet access to users.
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“We will keep connecting the world”, Facebook Chief Operation Officer Sheryl Sandberg said in a comment to Zuckerberg’s post.
Free Basics is an example of this: it is a service provided by Facebook to allow people access to a number of Web services that it hosts for free.
What are zero-rated internet services? “Not only because India was expected to be such a critical piece of the overall Internet.org success story, but more so because it has potential risky knock-on effects for the universal access initiative in other markets”.
The Free Basics program provided users with free access to job postings, sports updates, travel guides, news updates and other services.
“We know that connecting them can help lift people out of poverty, create millions of jobs and spread education opportunities”, Zuckerberg said.
“Internet.org has many initiatives, and we will keep working until everyone has access to the internet”, Zuckerberg said in a post on the Facebook yesterday, his first reaction to the ruling of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on net neutrality.
Facebook’s grandiose project to bring (limited) Internet to the unconnected millions aided with millions of advertising dollars and millions of (misinformed) users has stumbled at the regulatory hurdle put by up Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) Prohibition of Discriminatory Tariffs for Data Services Regulations, 2016. “We must connect everyone to the full potential of the open Web”. The service has been criticized outside India, too, with Facebook accused of infringing the principle of net neutrality – the concept that all websites and data on the Internet be treated equally.
Everyone in the world should have access to the internet.
“Today India’s telecom regulator chose to restrict programmes that provide free access to data”.
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“Unfortunately, as governments take a more activist role in deciding the Internet’s future, we can expect to see even more organised lobbying campaigns where megaphone wielding-extremists drown out the voices of the people”, Jerri said. It was launched in India in partnership with Reliance Communications, but late previous year Trai asked the telecom firm to suspend operations till the regulator approved the initiative.
