Net neutrality report leaning towards telecom cos lobby: Cong

Image
Press Trust of India New Delhi
Last Updated : Jul 17 2015 | 9:07 PM IST
Congress today dubbed as "anti- consumer" a report on net neutrality insisting that it has failed to meet two main issues and was "leaning" towards the lobby of telecom companies.
"It is an anti-consumer report" and failed to fulfill the democratic aspirations of a modern India... It is leaning towards a particular lobby," party spokesman Salman Khurshid told reporters.
He said that party Vice President Rahul Gandhi had flagged the issue of net neutrality in Parliament.
Noting that distinctions have been made between domestic and international calling applications, he said the attempt to bring in regulation was "not healthy and not acceptable".
The DoT panel on net neutrality has batted for an open and unregulated regime for several over the top (OTT) services but proposed regulating local and national calls over VoIP apps such as WhatsApp and Skype, a move that would result in consumers paying for them, possibly making them as expensive as calls made on mobile.
The government will formulate its final policy on net neutrality once the telecom regulator submits its recommendations.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Jul 17 2015 | 9:07 PM IST

Next Story