Nov 12 2014 : The Times of India (Delhi)
LEARNING WITH THE TIMES - What is net neutrality and why is it important?
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What is net neutrality?
Net neutrality is an idea derived from how telephone lines have worked since the beginning of the 20th century . In case of a telephone line, you can dial any number and connect to it. It does not matter if you are calling from operator A to operator B. It doesn't matter if you are calling a restaurant or a drug dealer. The operators neither block the access to a number nor deliberately delay connection to a particular number, unless forced by the law. Most of the countries have rules that ask telecom operators to provide an unfiltered and unrestricted phone service.When the internet started to take off in 1980s and 1990s, there were no specific rules that asked that internet ser vice providers (ISPs) should follow the same principle. But, mostly because telecom oper ators were also ISPs, they ad hered to the same principle. This principle is known as net neutrality . An ISP does not con trol the traffic that passes its servers. When a web user con nects to a website or web ser vice, he or she gets the same speed. Data rate for Youtube videos and Facebook photos is theoretically same. Users can access any legal website or web service without any inter ference from an ISP .
Some countries have rules that enforce net neutrality but most don't. Instead, the princi ple is followed because that is how it has always been. It is more of a norm than a law.
What will happen if there is no net neutrality?
If there is no net neutrality, ISPs will have the power (and inclination) to shape internet traffic so that they can derive extra benefit from it. For exam ple, several ISPs be lieve that they should be allowed to charge companies for servic es like YouTube and Netflix because these services consume more bandwidth com pared to a normal website. Basically, these ISPs want a share in the money that YouTube or Net flix make.
Without net neutrality , the internet as we know it will not exist. Instead of free access, there could be “package plans“ for consumers. For example, if you pay Rs 500, you will only be able to access websites based in India. To access international websites, you may have to pay a more. Or maybe there can be different connection speed for different type of content, depending on how much you are paying for the service and what “add-on package“ you have bought.
Lack of net neutrality , will also spell doom for innovation on the web. It is possible that ISPs will charge web companies to enable faster access to their websites. Those who don't pay may see that their websites will open slowly . This means bigger companies like Google will be able to pay more to make access to Youtube or Google+ faster for web users but a startup that wants to create a different and better video hosting site may not be able to do that.
What is the state of net neutrality in India?
Legally , the concept of net neutrality doesn't exist in India. Sunil Abraham, director of Centre for internet and Society in Bangalore, says that Trai, which regulates the telecom industry , has tried to come up with some rules regarding net neutrality several times.For example it invited comments on the concept of net neutrality from industry bodies and stakeholders in 2006.But no formal rules have been formed to uphold and enforce net neutrality .
However, despite lack of formal rules, ISPs in India mostly adhere to the principal of net neutrality . There have been some incidents where Indian ISPs have ignored net neutrality but these are few and far between.
Net neutrality is an idea derived from how telephone lines have worked since the beginning of the 20th century . In case of a telephone line, you can dial any number and connect to it. It does not matter if you are calling from operator A to operator B. It doesn't matter if you are calling a restaurant or a drug dealer. The operators neither block the access to a number nor deliberately delay connection to a particular number, unless forced by the law. Most of the countries have rules that ask telecom operators to provide an unfiltered and unrestricted phone service.When the internet started to take off in 1980s and 1990s, there were no specific rules that asked that internet ser vice providers (ISPs) should follow the same principle. But, mostly because telecom oper ators were also ISPs, they ad hered to the same principle. This principle is known as net neutrality . An ISP does not con trol the traffic that passes its servers. When a web user con nects to a website or web ser vice, he or she gets the same speed. Data rate for Youtube videos and Facebook photos is theoretically same. Users can access any legal website or web service without any inter ference from an ISP .
Some countries have rules that enforce net neutrality but most don't. Instead, the princi ple is followed because that is how it has always been. It is more of a norm than a law.
What will happen if there is no net neutrality?
If there is no net neutrality, ISPs will have the power (and inclination) to shape internet traffic so that they can derive extra benefit from it. For exam ple, several ISPs be lieve that they should be allowed to charge companies for servic es like YouTube and Netflix because these services consume more bandwidth com pared to a normal website. Basically, these ISPs want a share in the money that YouTube or Net flix make.
Without net neutrality , the internet as we know it will not exist. Instead of free access, there could be “package plans“ for consumers. For example, if you pay Rs 500, you will only be able to access websites based in India. To access international websites, you may have to pay a more. Or maybe there can be different connection speed for different type of content, depending on how much you are paying for the service and what “add-on package“ you have bought.
Lack of net neutrality , will also spell doom for innovation on the web. It is possible that ISPs will charge web companies to enable faster access to their websites. Those who don't pay may see that their websites will open slowly . This means bigger companies like Google will be able to pay more to make access to Youtube or Google+ faster for web users but a startup that wants to create a different and better video hosting site may not be able to do that.
What is the state of net neutrality in India?
Legally , the concept of net neutrality doesn't exist in India. Sunil Abraham, director of Centre for internet and Society in Bangalore, says that Trai, which regulates the telecom industry , has tried to come up with some rules regarding net neutrality several times.For example it invited comments on the concept of net neutrality from industry bodies and stakeholders in 2006.But no formal rules have been formed to uphold and enforce net neutrality .
However, despite lack of formal rules, ISPs in India mostly adhere to the principal of net neutrality . There have been some incidents where Indian ISPs have ignored net neutrality but these are few and far between.
