The consultation paper has sparked off yet another debate on net neutrality, with Facebook campaigning aggressively for Free Basics, previously called Internet.org, which it claims is aimed at bringing unconnected Indians online. The catch is that Facebook wants to ensure that it regulates the content that goes on this free internet platform.
Advertisement
According to Reuters, telecom carrier Etisalat Egypt had only been granted a permit to offer the service for two months and the service was suspended after it expired. “Consultation by Trai are not opinion polls, we are not asking if the answer is yes or no because that does not help us”. He already launched the service in partnership with 35 mobile operators in more than 30 countries around the world. The regulator has also received similar number of messages from people opposing Facebook’s Free Basics and other zero-rating programmes. However, the service has come under fire from campaigners and governments for prioritising sites such as Facebook over others.
Free Basics has launched in 37 countries so far.
Facebook has responded by promising strict data encryption and saying it will not bar any apps or developers from joining the Free Basics suite if they meet its technical requirements.
The service, aimed at bolstering Internet connectivity in developing countries, reportedly served more than three million Egyptians. “… Instead of wanting to give people access to some basic internet services for free, critics of the program continue to spread false claims – even if that means leaving behind a billion people”. Facebook’s Free Basics program has been the subject of a regulatory battle in India.
On Monday, in an article in the Times of India, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg made a personal appeal to garner support for Free Basics, calling it a “bridge to the full Internet and digital equality” and wondered who could oppose such an program. With an estimated 400 million Internet users – a almost 50% jump over a year ago – India represents the last massive frontier for Facebook, which is banned in China. “I never asked about Free Basics”, he explained. The deadline for comments on the paper was ending today.
Advertisement
“This is just a smart customer acquisition or a user acquisition strategy from Facebook”, Pahwa said. Now, there is a rising wave of discontent being aired by the same proponents who argue that the Free Basics approach which offered some compromise is still offering Indians a bastardised version of an internet experience.
