Facebook: 0, Network Neutrality: 1

In India, blocked free online service from Facebook

Many Internet companies subsidize cellular operators or Internet providers to provide free access to their sites for their subscribers. That is, a person downloads, for example, only “Vkontakte” or Yandex services, or some other sites from the Internet, and pays for the rest at standard rates for traffic.

Approximately such a system began operating in 2014 in India at the initiative of Facebook. Mark Zuckerberg wrapped it in a beautiful wrapper for the “social organization” Internet.org. But this does not negate the fact that free access to Facebook or other sites is a gross violation of the principles of network neutrality.

Yesterday, the Indian telecommunications industry regulator (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, TRAI) put an end to this outrage and banned this practice , including blocking the work of the free Internet service Free Basics from Internet.org.

An Internet provider or cellular operator who violates the ban will have to pay a fine from $ 735 to $ 73,585 (equivalent) for each day of the violation.
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The representative of TRAI added that he would return to the consideration of the ban in two years.

Free Internet service Free Basics gave Indian users free access to weather services and local news, the BBC website, Wikipedia, Facebook, some health care websites, etc.

In addition to India, the Free Basics initiative operates in 30 countries. For example, the screenshot shows a list of free sites in Bangladesh.



“No service provider should offer discriminatory tariffs for data transfer services based on their content,” said the TRAI.

Mark Zuckerberg expressed disappointment with the decision of the regulator. He said that the company will fight for the return of legal status and "the removal of communication barriers in India and around the world." “Internet.org has many initiatives, and we will continue to work until every person in the world has access to the Internet,” he said.