Facebook updates its Free Basics status

Withdraws free internet service days after TRAI says no to differential pricing

Social networking giant Facebook has pulled out its Free Basics programme from India after the country's telecom regulator struck down differential pricing for internet services offered to consumers, in a bid to uphold the principles of net neutrality.

"Free Basics is no longer available to people in India," a Facebook spokesperson confirmed on email.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Monday ruled against telecom operators offering differential pricing based on content or application for users accessing the internet in the country. This put a full stop to Facebook's Free Basics, which it had offered to consumers through Reliance Telecom but had suspended due to the telecom regulator's directive.

Facebook had launched a massive advertising campaign to garner support for its Free Basics programme that allowed users without internet access to get limited apps free on their smart phones. The social network had got millions of users to support its programme by clicking a link on the Facebook platform to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

India's top digital and technology entrepreneurs' such as Infosys co-founder and former UIDAI chairman Nandan Nilekani and Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma had opposed Facebook's move calling it digital colonising of an MNC over India's internet. They supported a set of activists who campaigned under the umbrella of SavetheInternet.

Facebook's pullout comes a day after Zuckerberg apologised for a comment made against India by its board member Marc Andreessen, which drew a huge backlash online.

"Anti-colonialism has been economically catastrophic for the Indian people for decades. Why stop now?" Andreessen tweeted, immediately evoking sharp reaction from Indians. Andreessen subsequently deleted the tweet and later apologised for his action.

Zuckerberg clarified that he nor Facebook's subscribes to Andreeseen's views and called it "deeply upsetting"

"India has been personally important to me and Facebook. Early on in my thinking about our mission, I traveled to India and was inspired by the humanity, spirit and values of the people. It solidified my understanding that when all people have the power to share their experiences, the entire world will make progress," Zuckerberg wrote on his facebook wall.