WhatsApp, Viber and Skype Internet Calls may No Longer be FREE in India
Jul 18, 2015
We all are aware of Net Neutrality and the recent controversies over it in India. Net Neutrality is simply the Internet Freedom — Free, Fast and Open Internet for all. India has been battling for Net Neutrality since zero-rating services such as Facebook's Internet.org and Airtel Zero were announced. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has now released a much-awaited report [ PDF ] on the Net Neutrality issue, recommending the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to regulate the voice calls conducted by the Internet users of over-the-top (OTT) services. Over 100 pages-long report details the DoT's understanding of Net Neutrality Principles, which has been criticized by consumer groups because it could End Free domestic voice calls offered by apps like WhatsApp and Skype. The Report says, "the core principles of net neutrality must be adhered to," and user rights on the Internet need to be protected, so that the Telecom Service Provid...