With the net neutrality debate raging in the online world, Airtel's Airtel Zero platform has been in the eye of storm. Internet activists, celebrities and social media users have expressed their distrust of the platform and are campaigning for an open Internet. On Saturday, Airtel sought to play down the concerns with a statement from CEO Gopal Vittalon which was circulated to customers and also shared on the company's official Facebook page.
Stating that the company's vision is to have every Indian on the Internet, Mr. Vittal's compares Airtel Zero with a toll-free service. "We are simply taking the concept of toll-free voice to the world of data. As a result, it is for the application developers and their customers to decide how data charges will be paid for." Mr. Vittal assures all customers that Airtel Zero will be a paltform that is open to all application developers, content providers and Internet sites on an equal basis.
Airtel Zero offers a platform for application developers and others to pay to feature their products and sites. However, this has raised the issue of big companies being able to pay a higher price to be featured on the platform while fledgling companies might be at a disadvantage. This, according to many pro-net neutrality activists, violates the very essence of open Internet.
Here's the company's official statement on the issue:
A pledge to our customers from our CEO, Gopal Vittal.
Posted by >Airtel India on >Friday, 17 April 2015
A few activisits have taken to social media to express their views on the issue. Pranesh Prakash, Policy Director at Centr for Internet and Society in Bengalure says:
If we oppose TRAI doing anything at all, then >#NetNeutrality violations will happen. TRAI has to put in place a framework for NN.
— Pranesh Prakash (@pranesh_prakash) >April 19, 2015
Some of the activists have also changed their profile pictures to say "I Pay, I choose. Save the internet #netneutrality" to show their solidarity to the cause.
