If you are a regular user of social media websites like Facebook, Twitter or Google Plus, you might have already read multiple posts about Net Neutrality. Net neutrality means everything on the web will be treated equally by the telecom providers. If you have a 10 GB data plan, then the network providers should allow you to access/download/upload 10 GB worth of data, independent of which site you use.

But with a few things coming up in the recent times, the concept of net neutrality is being challenged. And that has created a huge uproar. It all started with reports of telecom provider Airtel coming up with a project named Airtel Zero and then e-commerce retailer Flipkart signing up for the project.

The entire idea is to let users access the websites/apps of certain companies for free and charge the companies a certain amount. While providing access to internet for free may seem a good enough idea to promote usage of internet, the basic concept of a particular company tying up with a telecom provider gives an unfair advantage to companies having enough money with them.

Few months ago, Reliance and Facebook launched Internet.org which gave free access to a few websites, and obviously Facebook was one of them. At that time, they promoted it saying that they intend to provide internet to the poor. A well disguised cunning project, it also meant that people who wished to be in contact with friends would sign up on Facebook instead of other social websites, even if Facebook lacked in quality. Now imagine if all the network providers began such projects, what would you do if you have created a better website than Facebook, but don’t have enough money?

Flipkart was the first major company to sign up with Airtel Zero, but it seems the Bansals didn’t think about what would have happened to Flipkart if these rules existed before Flipkart was founded. Maybe Amazon would have paid a handsome amount and entered into Indian market, and Flipkart would have remained just another unsuccessful start-up.

In simple words, this new rule will practically kill the competition and certain companies will have a monopoly business.

For a basic netizen, this will be the end of freedom of choice and for a potential businessman, this will be the end of your dream.

But all is not lost yet. TRAI has uploaded a consultation paper on its website, which is quite a bad explanation that goes up to 117 pages! It asks 20 questions and we have to give our feedback. In a nutshell, it gives us a chance to voice our opinion against the telcos, and we have to do so before 24th April. If they receive enough responses, they won’t allow the telcos to have their say.

But to go through 20 different ridiculous technical questions won’t be easy for an average person. So, head over to www.savetheinternet.in and follow the simple instructions. With just three to four clicks, you can lodge a response to TRAI. That’s all you should do now to save our right to access the web in whichever way we wish. Cheers!

In case the entire concept and the potential danger of projects like Airtel Zero still seems confusing to you, make sure you watch the video below by AIB, a group of young Indian stand-up comedians, which explains the problems with such projects in a very simple and funny way.

 

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By Ashish Mukundan

Ashish Mukundan is a tech enthusiast and sports lover. Currently an Engineering student in Mumbai, he wishes to share his knowledge through brief articles and reviews relating to tech.

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