In the past few days, Net Neutrality has created quite a stir with Netizens coming out in full support of it. What I have observed is that we go by herd mentality and not informed debates. Yes, such is the effect of this topic that I ended up having some heated arguments with my well-informed friends! So here is my stance on the principles of Net Neutrality to bust the prevalent misconceptions around it.

Principle 1: All Content is equal

Myth 1: Telecom companies will make it easier to access some sites / apps at the cost of others, for existing internet users.

Myth buster 1: As for existing internet users, nothing changes as far as accessing sites of one’s choice is concerned. So what is this airtel zero about? Isn’t it about giving access to one site and restricting access to others? Let’s understand in more detail. There must be about 100 million consumers who own a smart phone or data enabled phone but have never used the internet. They can be a part of the large internet family but choose not to, for whatever reasons. Airtel zero is about providing free access to all consumers, somewhat on lines of a toll-free number, where the customer gets to make calls to customer care centre of company X, and company X pays for the call instead of the customer. It is a way of taking internet to the people that have hitherto not accessed the internet, it is about universal connectivity. Does that mean it would be free for an existing internet user as well? Yes, of course! Does that mean an existing internet user will not be able to access any other site he wants? Of course not! Does that mean a non-internet user will be able to access other sites as well? Only for those sites which are registered for airtel zero, a fair proposition, unless you hope to use a toll-free number to call your friends. Let’s look at the economics now - the customer does not have to pay for accessing a site and the company does not have to spend hundreds of crores on ad campaigns to reach the customer. It’s a win-win for both. Only probable loss for media channels charging crores on prime time ads.

Principle 2: All content should be available at the same speed

Myth 2: Telecom companies are going to make the browsing speed different for different sites or charge differentially for accessing different content

Myth buster 2: Again, nothing changes in terms of browsing speed. Your browsing speed depends upon your connection, your device capability and your data pack for existing internet users. All sites get the same prerogative. Is it any different in case of airtel zero? Absolutely not! There is no discrimination between a regular site and a site registered on airtel zero. Only difference being that registered sites are ALSO available to non-internet users, whereas the regular sites are available to internet users only. Will there be differential / higher charges for different content? Absolutely not! The content from registered providers would be for free and your regular sites, would consume data from your GB / MB balance, as it is today.

Myth 3: Drawing from Principle 1, it might be unfair to start-ups who cannot shell out big money

Myth buster 3: If at all, it’s going to be a great level playing field. Airtel zero is a technology platform available to all content providers, app developers and internet sites in an equal manner. The rate card is same for all providers in a non-discriminatory manner. It will in fact save the start-ups from burning crores for running ad campaigns, which might not even generate footfalls. Come to think of it, airtel zero charges the company only when a footfall is confirmed and proportional to the data consumed by the customer on the site. Moreover it helps the company engage with millions of customers it could otherwise not reach. It actually improves marketing budget efficacy!! What about companies that chose not to be a part of it? All internet users have access to their content, as it is today.

So, before you join the ‘SaveTheInternet’ campaign and engage in telecom company bashing (courtesy AIB: Save the Internet), accuse TRAI of favoring the telecom companies, pause and think my dear friends! I urge you to reflect for a while, coz in this age of media frenzy, and trending opinions, we often tend to make heroes out of villains and villains out of heroes!

What you can do to support the cause of Save the internet.

Send an Email and Tell TRAI we need network neutrality: http://www.savetheinternet.in/
Sign the Petition: https://www.change.org/p/rsprasad-trai-don-t-allow-differential-pri...