DoT to consult more on net-neutrality rules

DoT committee formed to look into the issue of net-neutrality met for the second time on Wednesday to examine its various aspects

The department of telecommunications (DoT) is looking into the financial implications of internet neutrality on the telecom sector as it seeks to formulate a policy structure on the issue.

DoT will have wider consultations with all stakeholders,  even with groups representing public opinion, before framing any rules, according to sources in the department.

A DoT committee formed to look into the issue met for a second time on Wednesday, to examine its various aspects — economic, security and privacy. It is expected to give a report on the issue by next month, the same time around which the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India will do likewise. Both reports will be considered by the Telecom Commission, the department's highest policy making body.

Recently, Trai issued a consultation paper on the regulatory framework for 'Over The Top' (OTT) entities, such as WhatsApp, Skype and Viber. These facilitate their users to make calls or send messages using the internet for free. OTT subscribers are only required to pay for internet charges consumed for using their services.

Under the principle of net-neutrality, telecom operators or anyone with a role in delivery of internet services should not discriminate or impose any barrier for accessing the net or services based on it.

"We feel the internet is a creation of the human mind. It should have linkages to the common man in a non-discriminatory manner,” minister for communications Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Monday.

The issue came to the limelight when the largest service provider, Bharti Airtel, decided to charge separately for calls made using internet connections, later withdrawn. The debate flared again because of its 'Airtel Zero' platform, an open marketing one that will allow customers to access mobile applications at zero data charges. Here, app makers/start-ups will pay Bharti Airtel, depending on customer usage.

Earlier, Reliance Communication had launched a similar service under Facebook's Internet.Org initiatives. It saw Cleartrip backing out from this on Wednesday, intensifying the debate.

In January, DoT had set up a six-member panel whose terms of reference included examination of the economic impact due to a regulated telecom services sector and an unregulated content and applications sector, including OTT services. It will also assess and specify qualifications on the applicability of the principal of net-neutrality from the security, traffic management, economic and privacy aspects, among others.