Airtel, a leading telecom company, which advocated for separate charges for (Over-The-Top)OTT has turned huge tide. The Regulatory authority has moved consultation paper to levy separate charge for OTT. The deadline to submit suggestion is April 24, 2015. This move have challenged the very net neutrality in India. If the regulatory authority approves such move, then get ready guys, we have to pay for all video and voice calls in messaging services. Apart from data charges we have to shell out extra charges in the OTT charges. No more chit chats!
OTT (Over-The-Top):
Save The Internet!
An online campaign has started against the TRAI move to allow telecom operators to levy charge on OTT. Visit savetheinternet.in to lodge your protest today. Click on 'respond to Trai now or edit answer' to lodge your protest.If not now, as a user of internet, we will lose our rights forever. Our free and neutral internet will be under the grip of telecom operators. The choice of network will depend on the choice of service offered. The leading telecom operators lobby for favoritism over other networks, concession for using particular service over their networks.
We are under pressure to decide our future internet. If we lose now, you will lose it forever. Stand against the move to uphold net neutrality.
It may appear as a simple move. But soon it may outrun us. One day, apart from exorbitant charge for data connection which we pay today, we will be forced to pay for every single message which are sent and received through internet messengers. It is high-time to lodge your response to maintain net neutrality in India.
My humble request is to lodge your response by visiting savetheinternet.in and send an email to TRAI protesting against the proposed move.
The first day saw a 27,000 emails in response to the consultation paper. But considering the number of internet users in India, we need more people to respond to the consultation paper to uphold net neutrality. Provide your support today! Have a happy future!
Update as on April 28, 2015: The crisis worsen as the Telecom operators like Airtel, vodafone, Idea has appealed with the Government to charge for OTT services today. Once TRAI grants approval then next target would be preferred content network by telecom operators. The Airtel Zero will get it's rigor back and will engulf user experience with sponsored contents based on Zero ratings.
If corporate lobby extends to the TRAI consultation then all is lost for Indian Internet users. Than the widely publicized broadband connection in 2003, mobile data cover vast majority of the internet users. The easy to setup and use network now faces challenge posed by the service providers. As no concrete net neutrality law is in place, which now making telecom operator to encroach upon mobile internet as and when they need to. Most prime target of these move is the internet messaging application whatsapp. As Indian user base vast, tapping the minimal charge over this OTT service will boost revenue of those telecom companies. With gross profit on mind, service providers started muddling with OTT service.
One day, telecom operators will invade your privacy if such trend gets approval from TRAI. Whatever these telecom operators dictate will be the laws of internet if not nipped in the bud. TRAI, telecom regulator of India, yet to respond on the consultation paper on OTT services. Stay tuned for the updates.
NOTE: To add insult to the injury, TRAI, listed 1 million user name and email id of those who sent reply to the consultation paper on OTT services. Well, a Telecom regulator of a country provides 1 million email id for spammers and marketers to solicit. Have you seen such a pathetic situation in any other country? Please share your opinion through comments. (Source: Times of India, link: 1 million email id exposed)
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