TRAI asked to submit recommendations on net neutrality as govt looks to finalise policy: Report

According to reports , the government of India might be trying to finalise the policy framework over the controversial net neutrality issue. It has asked the telecom regulator TRAI to submit recommendations on the matter. Speaking to the Economic Times, TRAI Chairman RS Sharma confirmed receiving a letter from the Department of Telecom on making recommendations and that they will shortly bring out a consultation paper on it. Early last month, TRAI made its stand clear against differential pricing which effectively meant things were bleak for net neutrality too. TRAI said that anything on the Internet cannot be differentially priced and no operator shall charge discriminatory pricing on content, source and application. The existing plans in operation will not be valid in 6 months. Along with the ban on differential pricing, TRAI will determine if attempts are being made to violate regulations. TRAI is essentially attempting to put everything on the Internet on an agnostic platform. Internet companies, however, will not fall under TRAI’s domain. For those uninitiated, it began with TRAI floating a consultation paper seeking views if differential pricing should be allowed, amidst the whole net neutrality debate. The regulator wanted to know what steps should be taken to ensure principles of non-discrimination, affordable Internet access, competition and so on if differential pricing is allowed. After some media coverage connecting differential pricing to net neutrality, TRAI quickly put out a statement saying the paper issued is not on net neutrality, but on a specific matter about differential pricing. However, there is no denying that both are co-related.