Government prolong limit for comments on net neutrality: Report

Those interested in waiting for the government's guidelines on net neutrality may have to wait longer because more time has now been given to individuals and institutions to give their views on the recommendations of an official panel on this theme.

"The deadline for submitting suggestions and comments on the committee's report on net neutrality through the discussion forum on www.MyGov.in has been extended until August 20," said an official statement on the website of the Ministry of Communications.

The report, submitted by a technocrat headed by AK Bhargava panel was made public on July 16, saying it favored, among other things, to the system of free call via the Internet. This had caused strong resentment among netizens.

Still an evolving concept, calls net neutrality on the government, Internet service providers and other stakeholders to address all voice and data over the Internet equally, and not impose differential tariffs for use the content, the platform, sites, applications or communication mode.

In response to protests by the panel's recommendations, Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told parliament shortly after that it was just suggestions and not the final view. "Is that not the final report, and the government takes a final view," he said.

"Based on the committee's report, comments and suggestions received and the recommendations of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, the Government will take a considered decision on various aspects of network neutrality, in the best interest of the country."

In a set of recommendations that could have ended the free regime for domestic calls made via messaging services Internet, such as WhatsApp, Viber and Skype, the official panel it has suggested that they be treated as service providers of regular telecommunications for tariffs and regulation. But free messaging wanted tariffs.

The deadline for submitting suggestions for the Department of Telecommunications' (DoT) draft report on the issue of network neutrality predates date was August 15th.

These responses will be considered by the government to make a decision on the issue of net neutrality, along with the suggestions of the TRAI following the consultation process. But unlike the older method in which I had to send an email to TRAI, the new way to record your answers is through MyGov.in.

The report of the Panel DoT had created a stir. The Panel Report harsh criticism from much of the country was won by proposing the regulation of national calls made with VoIP calls or Internet-based applications such as Skype, WhatsApp and Viber, and put them on par with services phone calls offered by telecommunications operators. Today, consumers can make one minutes VoIP calls to an almost insignificant cost compared with traditional calls.

The panel also opposed projects like Facebook Internet.org, which allows access to certain websites without charges for mobile data, while suggesting that similar plans as Airtel Zero is allowed with prior approval of TRAI.