Coalition claim 1 million net neutrality submissions to Trai

A day before the telecom operator closes its window for comments on the net neutrality consultation paper, SaveTheInternet coalition claimed one million email submissions had been sent so far.

The volunteer-led group, which has been campaigning for anti-discriminatory access to the internet, said by the "sheer numbers" this campaign has set a record for unprecedented public participation in any regulatory consultation in the country's history. However, the claim of one million submissions could not be verified from Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai).

Trai had released a consultation paper on the now controversial subject of net neutrality in last week of March and had invited public comments by April 24. The regulator will also open the received comments for counter responses by the second week of May.

In a statement, the volunteer group has requested that in the absence of a recommendation from Trai and any decision from the government, telecom companies should be restricted from rolling out any plans and services violating net neutrality, with prioritisation not pertaining to network management. The group has also requested "for bipartisan support from across political parties for an issue that impacts the freedom of access to the internet for all Indian citizens, and the survival of thousands of Indian technology start-ups trying to 'Make In India'."

Despite much controversy and several portals logging out from the Airtel's Zero and Reliance Communications Internet.org (promoted by Facebook), the platforms continue to be operational. Both Airtel and Facebook have refuted claims that their platforms violate the principals of net neutrality.

Facebook's chief executive officer and founder Mark Zuckerberg said on Thursday that Internet.org has made free basic internet services available to more than 800 million people in nine countries, including India, and will extend its platform to more unconnected users this year.

"Internet.org, our effort to connect everyone in the world to the internet, continues to gather momentum. We've now made free basic internet services available to more than 800 million people in nine countries, including just in this quarter, launching in India, Colombia, Ghana, Guatemala, and the Philippines," Zuckerberg said during its first quarter earnings call.

He reiterated that initiatives like Internet.org are "important and can co-exist" with net neutrality regulations and for people who are not on the internet, having some connectivity is always much better than having no ability to connect and share at all.

The department of telecommunications has called a meeting of Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG) to discuss net neutrality on April 27, said a PTI report.

The MAG has 39 members including those from department of electronics and IT, DoT, Ministry of External Affairs, Information and Broadcast Ministry, Home Ministry, Law Ministry and National Security Council Secretariat representing the government and Indian CERT, NIXI, National Informatic Centre representing the technical community. The group also has almost all prominent industry chambers including CII, FICCI, Nasscom, Assocham, etc on its board apart from civil society organisations.

Industry body Nasscom, which has already submitted its views to TRAI said that there is a need for the concept to be defined appropriately as the term itself was perceived "differently" across the globe. "…it is not just important are you for (Net neutrality) or against. But, what you mean by that?," he asked. Chandrashekhar said India was strong and vibrant ecosystem for innovation and if there was no Net neutrality then many small companies would not be allowed to offer their service. However, he made his stand clear that Nasscom was not against telecommunication companies. "We have not said that only the IT field should survive and telecom should perish. Both should grow together," he added.