Does Free Basics violate net neutrality?

January 10, 2016 05:00 pm | Updated November 17, 2021 03:00 am IST

Ankit Raj

Ankit Raj

There has been a lot of debate regarding the Free Basics service that Facebook seeks to introduce in India. According to Facebook, Free Basics will expand the reach of Internet access among Indians and offer select content for free. It is being criticised for being restrictive in nature and implementing differential pricing, especially when an ongoing battle is being fought to ensure net neutrality. Delhi’s students express their views.

Maansi Malik, M.Phil, Delhi University

The criticism of Free Basics has now grown into a social movement given its restrictive nature which allows the user to access predefined Internet services who have agreed to operate on the platform. This violates the principle of net neutrality and puts the user’s choice on the backfoot. However, with the poor Internet connectivity we have in the rural as well as in some urban areas, net neutrality must not become a priority. We must give it a shot and encouraging towards building a Digital India. Nevertheless, the concerns of user’s desirability must be addressed.

Ankit Raj, LLM I year, Delhi University

One must get it right. It is not free basic Internet as it has been advertised. Under Free Basics, only a few among millions of websites will be free. The propagated idea is good and must be supported, but the doubtful part is the underlying intention. This is where the role of the central regulatory authority, TRAI, would be crucial.

Riya Singh, M.Phil, Ambedkar University

It is important to understand what net neutrality means. It means all content is equal, all websites are equally accessible and all data is accessible at the same speed. It is clear that telecom companies are against net neutrality to increase their own revenues by demanding more money. Carving out different sections on the Internet means paying extra for using every separate service. With a scholarship of Rs. 5,000 per month, it will be difficult for students to access information available on the Internet if such a regulation is implemented. Less money, less access to the Internet and different websites clubbed with slow speed — this is all a person would get in the coming time if we do not rise up against it.

Top News Today

Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.