Amid criticism of a DoT panel report suggesting ‘regulatory
framework’ for Internet calls, Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad today said
it is not the final view of the government and a “structured” decision will be
taken only after looking into views of all stakeholders.
The suggestions of the
panel, if implemented, may lead to free calls offered by apps like Skype and
WhatsApp coming to an end. The panel has proposed regulation of domestic calls
on Internet-based apps like Skype, Whatsapp and Viber by putting them on par
with services offered by telecom operators.
“Net neutrality report
has come and I want to make this clear that it is not the report of the
government. It is the report of the Department of Telecom,” Prasad told
reporters on the sidelines an event here.
“It is the report of a
committee of officers which I had constituted to study the entire gamut of net
neutrality.”
The panel was chaired by
DoT Advisor for Technology A K Bhargava and members included officers A K
Mittal, V Umashankar, Shashi Ranjan Kumar, G Narendra Nath and R M Agarwal. The
minister had asked the panel to study net neutrality operation in various parts
of the world and the debate on the issue.
Prasad said that the
report is now in public domain for comments and it will be sent to TRAI also.
“After the TRAI report,
we will take a structured view. Thereafter Cabinet will take a final decision,”
Prasad said.
Net neutrality implies
that equal treatment be accorded to all Internet traffic and no priority be
given to an entity or company based on payment to content or service providers
such as telecom companies, which is seen as discriminatory.
The DoT panel has said
that international Internet-based calls and messaging services should not be
regulated.
IT sector body Nasscom
has said that if recommendations are implemented, this kind of differentiation
between Internet-based communication services may lead to breach of users’
privacy.
Telecom Watchdog, an NGO
and co-petitioner in 2G spectrum case, has alleged that the report was a
“protectionist policy for the incumbent telecom service providers” and
anti-consumer.
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