Net neutrality and other telecom policy
Summary
The physical life of the internet is obscured from view. Undersea cables, airwaves, wireline networks- all these elements that rarely come to the foreground of our thoughts interact in complex ways to deliver us ‘internet’. As much of the network is owned and managed by private entities, their interests can be divergent from the public interest. Limiting user choice or stifling innovation, for example, could be immensely profitable for these entities. It falls upon the laws and policies governing these telecommmunication networks to ensure that the internet’s ability to function as a free, open and secure medium is preserved, while also creating conditions for the telecom industry to thrive.
Posts & Reports
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Dots and connections - Internet explained through
rangoli Remember we had begun to use rangoli as a way to explain networking concepts? We have turned that exercise into a video now! Well, some parts of it - watch it here. With the support of Greenhost and the Totem Project, we made an explainer video that goes into what ‘internet’ means, how information travels … More
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India takes the lead in shaping global Net Neutrality
principles (Originally published on Asia Times. Link here.) While the US seems to be busy unraveling progressive net neutrality protections passed during the Obama administration, India’s Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is putting down roots for one of the strongest net neutrality frameworks in the world. In a detailed set of recommendations released earlier this … More
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Dialing for data protection: Our comments to TRAI Consultation Paper on Privacy, Security and Ownership of User Data in the Telecom
Sector The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) invited comments for consultation paper no. 09/2017 on Privacy, Security and Ownership of User Data in the Telecom Sector. The Internet Democracy Project submitted comments to TRAI, asking the regulator to centre users’ rights over their data as part of the fundamental right to privacy, while balancing these rights with innovation in uses of data and also innovation in regulation. We also submitted that TRAI should not go as far as to recommend data protection requirements for ‘all players in the ecosystem’, as this goes beyond the TRAI’s mandate.
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Our submission to TRAI consultation on network neutrality in favour of brightline
rules The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India issued a consultation on Network Neutrality covering traffic management practices, transparency requirements, policy framework, appropriate regulatory mechanism and more. The Internet Democracy Project made a submission in support of brightline rules of network neutrality with exceptions for reasonable traffic management. Read the full report here.
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Hello! Our submission to TRAI consultation on Internet
telephony The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India issued a consultation on Internet Telephony, and invited comments from stakeholders. The Internet Democracy Project made a submission in support of interconnections between circuit and packet switched technologies- with an eye towards trends of convergence and stock-taking of relevance of the category of telephony as a distinct service in the age of IP-based networks. We examine the consequences for network neutrality in the longer term.
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Podcast: Greg Macdougall interviews Anja Kovacs on Internet rights, political economy and social
justice On 8 August 2016, Anja Kovacs was interviewed by Greg Macdougall of EquitableEducation.ca. It was the first full day of the World Forum on Free Media in Montreal, which happened in conjunction with the World Social Forum happening Aug 9-14. Greg and Anja discussed a wide range of topics, including ‘zero rating’ and net neutrality; state surveillance; public dissatisfaction with Facebook and creating alternatives; and how the internet, capitalism, communications and the link to broader struggles for rights, justice and humanity. You can listen to the full interview here. More
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Coalition letter: High quality connectivity and net neutrality go hand in
hand Not only in India is net neutrality getting regulatory attention. In the EU, for example, it is as well. This letter is an effort by a global coalition of civil society and user organisations to respond to the 5G Manifesto promoted by telecoms operators in the EU to water down the recently adopted EU Regulation on the open internet. In short, the EU’s telecom operators have stated that if strong net neutrality rules are passed, they will not support the development of the planned 5G infrastructure - which the EU institutions are so excited about. But as we argue in this letter, in the EU as elsewhere, 5G and net neutrality should go hand in hand! The letter urges lawmakers in the EU to ensure that rules to protect net neutrality adopted around the world - including in India, Chile and the US - should be upheld in the EU as well. More
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Towards setting goalposts: Our comments to pre-consultation paper on net
neutrality The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India issued a pre-consultation paper on network neutrality, and invited comments from stakeholders. The Internet Democracy Project made a submission, asking that the consultation result in a clear and overarching framework that strengthens the freedom of expression that the Internet has enabled, and makes strong protections for user privacy, secures user choice by minimising Internet service provider interference and ensures healthy competition in the telecommunications and applications market.
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Against the undermining of discriminatory tariffs regulation: Our comments to TRAI consultation paper on Free
Data The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) invited comments on their consultation paper No. 7/2016 on Free Data. The Internet Democracy Project submitted comments to TRAI, asking the regulator to take steps that would lead to the strengthening of the Prohibition of Discriminatory Tariffs for Data Services, 2016 Regulation, by giving business models which do not come under that regulation, but run the risk of having similar harms as discriminatory pricing, the same regulatory treatment. In general, we urge TRAI to develop a principle-based framework to preserve the Internet’s ability to function as an open and free infrastructure, which expands and refines principles that it has started to develop with the discriminatory tariffs regulation.
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After some deep pocket inspection, TRAI says ‘no thanks’ to differential pricing on the basis of
content! We are thrilled that the Indian telecom regulator, TRAI, has notified regulations in favour of an open internet, after grueling rounds of consultations in which many stakeholders with different views and interests participated. Facebook’s Free Basics also comes within the sweep of TRAI’s prohibition of any service that seeks to segregate users on the basis … More
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Full house at the TRAI Open House: Additional comments to TRAI consultation on differential pricing for data
services TRAI held an Open House on 21st January 2016, inviting stakeholders to put forth key points of their submissions. In response to a call for any additional comments on the consultation, we submitted the following brief points, which also reflects our intervention at the Open House.
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Broad points of conflict: Our counter comments to the TRAI Consultation Paper on Differential Pricing for Data
Services The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) invited counter comments on their consultation paper No. 8/2015 on differential pricing of data services. The Internet Democracy Project submitted counter comments to TRAI, outlining where we disagree with various submissions made in favour of differential pricing.
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End-to-end ka The End: Our response to TRAI Consultation Paper on Differential Pricing for Data
Services The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) invited comments on their consultation paper No. 8/2015 on differential pricing of data services. The Internet Democracy Project submitted comments to TRAI, outlining why differential pricing of data services in the Indian mobile telephony market further jeopardises the goal of wider access to a free, open and secure internet, and runs against consumer welfare and competition.
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But is it still the Internet if it is isolating? Our response to the Department of Telecommunication’s report on net
neutrality A Committee of the Department of Telecommunications released a report on net neutrality in May 2015. It included recommendations on the technical, regulatory and public policy concerns. The following report is Internet Democracy Project’s comments on the views expressed in the committee’s report.
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All of the Internet for all of the people: Our response to TRAI consultation paper on regulatory framework for Over-The-Top
services The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) invited comments on their consultation paper No. 2/2015 on regulatory framework for Over-The-Top (OTT) services. The Internet Democracy Project submitted comments to TRAI, outlining the importance of an unadulterated understanding of network neutrality as a necessary precondition for an open and free Internet.
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ITU Secretary-General response to members of civil
society Last week, a large group of civil society organisations wrote to the ITU’s leadership, requesting them to ensure greater transparency and openness of the upcoming ITU Plenipotentiary Conference. Today, we received the below response from ITU’s Secretary-General Dr. Hamadoun Touré to our call. Though our request to allow members of the public to participate as … More
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Civil society open letter to the ITU on transparency of the 2014 ITU Plenipotentiary in
Busan The Internet Democracy Project has joined forces with organisations from around the world to request the ITU’s leadership to ensure greater transparency and openness of the ITU Plenipotentiary, which will take place in Busan, South Korea, from 20 October to 7 November 2014. The letter was addressed, and delivered, to Secretary General of the International … More