P. Muralidharan, a real estate agent from Adyar, has video chatted with his son every day since the latter moved to France. For him, WhatsApp and Skype are part of the daily routine, whether it is for work or in his personal life.
However, the first time Mr. Muralidharan and his friends heard of net neutrality was at Free Software Foundation Tamil Nadu’s (FSFTN) walkathon held at Besant Nagar Beach on Thursday.
“The idea that one day, telecom companies may charge separately for these services, or make them slower than another app is scary. I could potentially lose a lot of business and find it difficult to stay in touch with my loved ones,” he said.
According to Alagunambi Welkin, president of FSFTN, many people remain unaware of the danger of such restrictions on the internet. “The concept that all content and traffic on the internet be treated equally by service providers is the basis of the internet. Without net neutrality, the things we take for granted like talking to loved ones across the world would be difficult,” he said.
“The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) consultation paper, which suggests the regulation of ‘Over The Top’ (OTT) services like WhatsApp, Hike and Skype, has dangerous implications for the growth of new apps and services,” he added.
With TRAI already having received a million letters on the issue, FSFTN urged people to continue the campaign against the OTT regulation through various forums, including the website,www.savetheinternet.in.
“People need to understand the need for a free and fair internet,” Mr. Welkin said, adding that the issue would not end with the April 24 deadline for responding to TRAI’s paper. The organisation would be conducting campaigns in colleges on the issue and was looking for more people to be involved in the movement, he added.
