TRAI verdict on net neutrality to benefit 'Startup India', 'Digital India' programme: Cyber law expert

Cyber law expert Virag Gupta on Monday said the ruling out differential pricing for Internet services and supporting net neutrality by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) will ensure free internet services to the masses in the country and will specially benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Startup' and 'Digital India' programme.

"Net neutrality will ensure free access to all Indian internet users and will specially benefit the Startup India, Digital India programme and will ensure opening of big word of internet to the users," Gupta told ANI here.

"TRAI has always supported net neutrality. By today's clarification, they have confirmed this in writing and I hope that all the companies will respect the verdict given by the TRAI. I hope that the big companies will not misuse the exemption provided by TRAI," Gupta added.

In a major setback to social networking giant Facebook Inc's plan to roll out free Internet services to the masses in the country, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Monday ruled against differential pricing for Internet services.

TRAI said that Internet service providers would not be allowed to discriminate on pricing of data access for different web services.