What Net Neutrality is about: a simple explanation
(By Nikhil Pahwa & Vikas SN)
Net Neutrality is a terrible, technical sounding phrase, and suffers
for the lack of an easy definition. Here’s how we look at it:Telecom operators/ISPs are access services providers, and can control either how much you access, what you access, how fast you access and how much you pay to access content and services on the Internet.
It’s important for access to knowledge, services and free speech, as well as freedom and ease of doing business online, for this access to be neutral:
– All sites must be equally accessible
- The same access speed at the telco/ISP level for each (independent of telco selection)
– The same data cost for access to each site (per KB/MB).
This means, Net Neutrality is about:
– No telecom-style licensing of Internet companies (see this and this)
– No gateways (Internet.org, Airtel OneTouch Internet, Data VAS), censorship or selection;
– No speeding up of specific websites (that may or may not pay telcos)
– No “zero rating” or making some sites free over others (and that goes for you too, Wikipedia and twitter).
savetheinternet.in
Response generator for the TRAI consultation paper
netneutrality.in
India's fight for an open internet
