Showing posts with label NET NEUTRALITY. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NET NEUTRALITY. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

MOTHER OF ALL THE BATTLES FOR THE FREEDOM OF INTERNET :Whose Internet Is It, Anyway?

SOURCE:
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/net-neutrality-internet-web-apps-telecom-companies/1/440876.html










                MOTHER OF ALL  THE  BATTLES                                    FOR
        THE FREEDOM OF  INTERNET



                Whose Internet Is It, Anyway?

                                         By

                         

                            Ball in Government's Court as 
              GREEDY SELF CENTRIC  INDIAN TELCOS 
               move to compartmentalise the world wide web
 
 
         NET NEUTRALITY IS A LITMUS TEST
                                      FOR
               THE MODI GOVERNMENT
 
                    INTELECT SLAVERY
 
                                       OR
 
                   INTELECT FREEDOM
 
 
                                    YOUR FREEDOM
                                                
                                                 TO
 
      FREE ACCESS TO KNOWLEDGE IS UNDER ATTACK
 
                                      IF INDIAN PUBLIC
 
    LOOSES THE NET NEUTRALITY  BATTLE
 
                                           THAN
 
                        BE PREPARED TO FALL
 
                                             INTO
 
       PREPETUAL INTELECT BONDED  SLAVERY
 
                                                  OF
 
                        INTELECT  RATIONING
 
 
 
 


Net Neutrality
Information is the new gold. It is the new oil. Anyone who controls information has access to great wealth and power."
From Killswitch: The Battle to Control the Internet (2015), directed by Ali Akbarzadeh

Neutrality, as a philosophy, is the tendency to not take sides in a conflict. It is different from apathy, ignorance or indifference. It means tolerance regardless of how unusual, unpleasant or even deplorable a perspective might be.

It is this spirit of neutrality that has made the internet The Great Democratiser.


A universe within a universe that offers a chaotic mesh of ideas, throws up countless possibilities, and provides a level-playing field for all-be it a media conglomerate headquartered in Silicon Valley or a tiny start-up in small-town India.



  ********************************************************
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*********************************************************  


        


















The raging discussion on net neutrality-the principle that the internet must be free and open, and all information must get equal weightage no matter who is creating it-impacts far more people than just the tech community. Once you look past jargon such as 'gatekeepers', 'data packets' and 'network architecture', you realise that the fundamental questions are two fairly simple ones: who does the internet really belong to-the telecom companies who provide the cables that enable access to it, or the users who fill it with apps, data and information? And, what is the primary role of the internet-is it a tool to pay bills, watch TV shows and keep in touch with friends, or is it a round-the-clock symposium of ideas, opinions and innovations that could redefine the space we inhabit today and the times we will live in tomorrow? 
 Facebook's Internet.org attracts 8 lakh users in India



Although the discussion on network neutrality is almost a decade old even in India, its various twists and turns have become pronounced over the last few weeks, and are likely to get more angular as the government gets ready to frame a clear policy on it soon. At the heart of the problem lies a push by telecom companies, who also double up as service providers either via broadband or via mobile phones, to strike deals with certain websites and apps to offer them preferential treatment. This can either be in the form of making them part of an exclusive "zero rating" in which no data charges apply, or in the form of ensuring faster browsing speeds for their products, thereby encouraging  ( read  'FORCING' ) users to go to these websites and apps more often than other newer products devised by smaller companies. In India, for example, Airtel stirred the pot by offering a zero rating for data transactions on certain websites. Their private club included the biggest e-commerce marketplace Flipkart, just as Internet.org, a similar scheme by Reliance Communications and Facebook, included one of India's biggest travel portals Cleartrip and news portal NDTV.com, but the companies pulled out because of a public backlash once the net neutrality debate went viral.








Leading proponents of neutrality, such as Medianama.com, argue that both these initiatives would effectively split the internet into different zones-free and paid, Indian and foreign, big companies and small start-ups, and into sections monitored by individual service providers.
TRAI won't display emails if you specify it




Net Neutrality vs Net Opportunity


The telecom companies, who all say they want an "open internet", counter net neutrality with a catchy phrase of the own-Net Opportunity. This is the philosophy that internet use must be inventively monetised

( PAY AS U USE THE INTERNET, USAGE FEES SLAVE TO  THE WHIMS OF THE TELCOM OPERATOR)

  in order to connect remote parts of the country where there is still no access. They suggest that neutrality is stopping them from making enough revenue to effect this expansion. As Rajan Mathews, director general of the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) put it in recent interviews: "People espousing net neutrality in India say that everyone who has access to the internet should have access to every website or application, and we are not denying that. What we are asking is, what about the 1 billion people in India who do not have any access;? They too must have access to the internet."

 The COAI's 'Sabka Internet' campaign, which talks about a "Digital Bharat" and "affordable internet for all" on a website peppered with heartwarming images of internet usage in rural India, is a subtle distillisation of this anti-neutrality argument. To put it in a poker (and French Revolution) metaphor, the telecom companies are effectively saying, "We see your egalite, and raise you a fraternite."

INDIA HAS GOT TWO GOVERNMENTS  "DILLI SARKAR"  &   "BCCI"  IF  MODI  SCUMBLES THAN INDIA WILL HAVE THIRD GOVERNMENT  

                         COAI  KI  SARKAR


( Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI)  ki Sarkar)










































However, the argument of the telecom companies, made by citing the Rs 1.1 lakh crore spent to purchase spectrum in March and the hit to voice and SMS revenues being caused by OTT (over-the-top) services such as Skype and WhatsApp, isn't flying with everyone. The genesis of the latest controversy lies in a March 27 "consultation paper" released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) -that made a series of recommendations. Along with suggesting that any company using voice or messaging should buy a licence from the government even if it was operating from abroad, TRAI recommended that internet companies register with service providers to ensure smooth delivery to users. Going by these recommendations, a telecom company such as Airtel could sign a deal with an OTT app such as WhatsApp, offering it for free while throttling a competitor such as BlackBerry Messenger or smaller apps such as Kik Messenger. Since this was a consultation paper, TRAI asked for views from internet users across India by April 24. Over the course of that month, they received comments from 1.1 millon people ask- ing them to preserve net neutrality by neither licensing OTT services nor giving telecom companies the right to charge different prices for different Web-based services.



What stood out in the TRAI's consultation paper was how different it was to the views the regulator had held in the past. In a 2006 paper, TRAI Review of Internet Services, for example, it had categorically said that net neutrality must be protected because it is this principle that has "allowed many companies (application service providers, content providers etc) to launch, grow, and innovate".



The regulator had also sounded a warning: "Internet access providers may (one day) use their market power to discriminate against competing applications and/or contents. The issue of net neutrality in the long term can threaten the popularity of the public internet-based telephony and similar other applications as all the intermediate internet providers may start asking commercial agreements in absence of which they may refuse to carry the content and provide desired quality of service." Incidentally, the TRAI chairman at the time, Nripendra Misra, is now principal secretary to Prime Minister

  Narendra Modi.



Supporters of net neutrality  suggest that the change of heart has come because of pressure from telecom companies. TRAI denies the allegation. But neutrality supporters, led by a group of artists, professionals and entrepreneurs who have come together to start the Save The Internet campaign, allege that telecom companies are pushing for changes even though they are growing at a healthy rate and the reduction in voice and text revenues has been more than made up by increased data usage (see graphic). They also point out that the three leading telecom companies, Airtel, Vodafone and Idea, have added between 7 and 11.5 million 3G internet connections in the last four quarters alone. India is expected to have in excess of 354 million inter- net users by June 2015 with 213 mil- lion of these also using their phones to go online.




Government Under Pressure ( read BLACK MAIL )

The stakes have now become higher than just protecting neutrality as it exists at the moment.

Net neutrality supporters want more than status quo.

 Even as the telecom companies are asking for the freedom to monetise, these groups are asking for the exact opposite-strict guidelines or laws that make it mandatory for service providers to uphold net neutrality.


While TRAI is a regulator with legal powers that allow supervision of tariffs and "quality of service", binding guidelines are usually framed by the Department of Tele communications (DoT), which gives operating licences to telecom companies. The ball, therefore, is in the government's court, and its attempt to strike a fine balance between the telecom lobby and public out-cry has met only limited success so far.



In a May 21 meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology, headed by BJP MP Anurag Thakur, the government met with opposition from the ruling party's veteran leader L.K. Advani. At the meeting, where representatives of service providers Airtel, Vodafone and Idea were invited to present their case, Advani sided with Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien and Congress MP KVP Ramachandra Rao, who insisted that consumer forums and OTT service providers should be invited first. "Delhi is hot. But deliberations at Parliamentary Committee meetings just got even hotter," O'Brien tweeted soon after the meeting. O'Brien, who had first raised the issue through a 'calling attention' in the Rajya Sabha told INDIA TODAY: "We don't want to fight the telecom companies, but we have to take care of consumer interests." Even in Parliament, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi has pushed for a law to protect net neutrality, linking it with his tirade against corporate favours by what he describes as a "suit-boot ki sarkar". Though the government has been talking about sup- porting an open internet, its stand on the various nuances of net neutrality is not quite clear. Sources in the telecom ministry say they are still waiting for reports from the standing committee, TRAI and DoT, along with keeping their ear peeled for public opinion, before taking a firmer stand. Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, how-ever, has been quoted as saying that "various ways to implement net neutrality, such as introducing clauses in the licensing conditions" are not out of the question.



Incredibly though, it is the internet's power as a 'DEMOCRATISER ' that is turning out to be the biggest hurdle for the telecom companies. It was a 23-page summary of the TRAI's 118-page consultation paper made by Save The Internet that high-lighted issues which would have otherwise got overlooked. And it was All India Bakchod, the comedy collective, that simplified the problem through a pro-neutrality skit that went viral online and pushed users to flood the TRAI with emails. A bit like how John Oliver had turned the debate in the United States after a pro-neutrality segment on his show Last Week Tonight last June. In his show, Oliver had famously said: "They shouldn't call it 'Protecting Net Neutrality'; they should call it 'Stopping Cable Company F*ckery'."


So can the Web remain a platform where every opinion, no matter how disagreeable, and every piece of information, no matter how unpleasant, gets equal play and equal band- width?

Chances are that the internet itself will ensure that it does.


Follow the writer on Twitter @_kunal_pradhan
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Sunday, May 3, 2015

#Net neutrality debate

Source:
http://tech.firstpost.com/news-analysis/ten-cartoons-by-aseem-trivedi-explain-the-importance-of-net-neutrality-264382.html



                                  
                                         #Net Neutrality Debate
                                          By
                           tech2 News Staff /


Ten Cartoons By Aseem Trivedi Explain the Importance of Net Neutrality

 
                                                                                                               







   23 Apr 2015 .
 
 

With just two days to go before Trai’s deadline for comments by public on net neutrality ends, several creative minds are at work to spread the word to the masses. Aseem Trivedi, cartoonist and free speech activist has now come up with 10 cartoons on net neutrality and they are certainly worth a look.


Protesting against rules trying to redefine the Internet, a website called www.savetheinternet.in has been set up where anyone can send a mail directly to Trai, expressing their reluctance and discomfort about how telecom carriers are snatching away free Internet from them.  Those part of India’s startup ecosystem can also sign this letter asking PM Modi to preserve the open, competitive internet by enforcing net neutrality.



Here are 10 cartoons that cut through the jargon and explain the need for net neutrality in India.


01_Cartoons-on-Net-Neutrality 02_Cartoons-on-Net-Neutrality 03_Cartoons-on-Net-Neutrality 04_Cartoons-on-Net-Neutrality 05_Cartoons-on-Net-Neutrality 06_Cartoons-on-Net-Neutrality 07_Cartoons-on-Net-Neutrality 08_Cartoons-on-Net-Neutrality 09_Cartoons-on-Net-Neutrality 10_Cartoons-on-Net-NeutralityImage credit: Aseem Trivedi


Also read
Timeline: Airtel Zero to Internet.org, what fuelled the ongoing Net Neutrality debate in India



Strong plea made in Lok Sabha to ensure Net Neutrality



X



        
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Wednesday, April 15, 2015

ATTACK ON "NEUTRALITY OF NET" is a direct assault on 'DEMOCRACY'




                        ATTACK ON 
              "NEUTRALITY OF NET"
                   is a direct assault on 
                      'DEMOCRACY'



What is Net Neutrality ?
 
It is the principle that all traffic on internet should be treated the same.
 
 
----------
 
 
 
So What's Happening Now?
 
TRAI consultation paper (open to comments till April 24) is the first step in potentially allowing operators to discriminate internet traffic.
 
 
 
----------
 
 
How does This  Iimpact Me?
 
1. Your internet bill could go up.

 2. Apps you love may no longer work.
 
 
ISPs and Telcos could charge you more. When you buy a 1 Gb data pack, you can use it for anything you wish. Without Neutrality, you could be forced to buy a Skype pack for Skype calls, a video pack to watch YouTube and dailymotion.
 
                                              OR
 
you could be charged a different rate for each service. 4p/10 KB if you are browsing, but 10p/10 KB for VoIP calls.
 That would be like your milkman telling you 30 Rs/L if you make tea, but 60 Rs/L if you make milkshake.
 
 
You could be denied service as well.
(for making too much noise)
 
 
 Telcos could decide that WhatsApp or Viber is eating into their sms revenue and block them completely. 

                                                   Or 

Airtel could block gaana, saavn, hungama, rdio etc (owned by RIVALs) and allowed access only to wynk (owned by Airtel)
 
 
----------
 
 
  YOU, I MEAN YOU, THE USER OF INTERNET WILL BE REDUCED TO A STATE OF  CAPTIVE MARKET WITH A GAG IN YOUR MOUTH AND  HANDCUFFED TO A  RAT HOLE TO ROT INTO THE STATE OF HELPLESSNESS STAGE OF ETERNAL SLAVERY OF MENTAL  "HIBERNATION" WHICH MAY CULMINATE INTO DEMENTIA DUE TO LACK OF CONSTRUCTIVE INPUTS                                  OF KNOWLEDGE.
 
 
 
                                                ATTACK ON 
                "NEUTRALITY OF NET"
                    is a direct assault on
                     'DEMOCRACY'
                                with
       BRUTE FORCE OF MONEY POWER
 
 
 
SO do you want to know more!!.
Sure follow the links here:
 
 
 
 
 
 

 Another cool video:
 

 
Take some Action:
 
 
 
 
 
 
----------
 
 
 
OK. Got it? What can YOU do?

 Let TRAI know that you hate this idea. Go to
http://www.savetheinternet.in and follow the instructions to email TRAI letting them know of your displeasure.
----------
What else  you can do?
 
Yes. Inform family and friends about net neutrality and TRAI's attempts to kill it (under pressure from telcos probably).
----------
 
Please share this message with everyone you know
 
 
 
 
 
 
  ACT NOW CATCH THE BULL BY HORN
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


















                             IF WE DON'T ACT NOW
 THIS IS WHAT THE BULL WILL DO



 "  BULL WILL FORCEFEED YOU WITH ROTTEN KNOLEDGE "
 



























 
 
 

Monday, April 13, 2015

FIGHT FOR FREEDOM OF INTERNET CYBER WAR IS ON

SOURCE:
http://www.msn.com/en-in/news/national/why-we-need-net-neutrality/ar-AAaESrX?li=AAaVsg6






                         FIGHT FOR FREEDOM
                                     OF 
              INTERNET CYBER WAR IS ON







The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) Recently Sought Public Comments on                             Net Neutrality.






  • Why we need net neutrality

    Why we need net neutrality


  • The beauty of net neutrality

    The beauty of net neutrality



  • Stop Airtel Zero from 'hafta vasooli' or it…


  • Timeline: The net neutrality debate in India

    Timeline: The net neutrality debate in…


  • File: A worker cleans a logo of Bharti Airtel at its zonal office building in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh May 2, 2013.

    Airtel defends data pricing, aims to bust…



  • Indians rally for Internet freedom…



  • The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) recently sought public comments on net neutrality.
    © Provided by Indian Express The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) recently sought public comments on net neutrality. 
     
    The debate on net neutrality picked up steam in 2010, when the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) lost its case against Comcast in the US Supreme Court.



    Increasingly it is becoming clear that, for now, net neutrality advocates abroad have the upper hand.


     But what about India?

     
    The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) recently sought public comments on net neutrality. This was spurred by Airtel’s move to charge for VoIP calls. This means the company offers customers internet access as a product and allocates a certain amount of data for the money paid. What you choose to do with that data should be your concern.

     
    But Airtel now says, “You cannot use the data you paid for to use this particular service”, and would have you pay Rs 100 for the data and additional money to use a service using that very data. A simple analogy: The electricity company sells you 100 units for Rs 900, and says you could use that energy to power TVs, ACs, etc. But should you use the units sold to charge your inverter, you would need to pay extra. The comparison of electricity with the internet is relevant because both are utilities.

     
    The carrier gets revenue by charging customers for talk-time. Additionally, it sells 2G and 3G services. Carriers have been primarily geared towards selling talk-time. Selling internet services was secondary. They have been slow to react to the potential of third-party internet services. Consumers are replacing traditional texting with WhatsApp or Viber and traditional network calling with apps such as Skype. There is a very real danger that, in five years, carriers may earn no money from texting and calling.

     
    Carriers argue that internet penetration in India, unlike developed Western nations, is poor. Huge investments need to be made in infrastructure. The revenues from charging the customer for data will not justify making that investment. There is some merit in that argument. This is where the government will have to step in and treat internet access as a utility and make investments in infrastructure.

     
    But market disruption has been happening for aeons. This is simply an evolution. With evolution come casualties. In the case of the internet, it is the carriers’ existing business model. They will fight to prevent that because they know of no other model to sustain profits.

     
    Currently, the carrier treats all third-party applications the same. What happens when one third-party application is treated favourably for monetary consideration? This is paid prioritisation. Right now, the internet is a great equaliser. One website will load just as fast as another. Now imagine Google pays the carrier to get into the “fast lane”. So while, say, Yahoo takes eight seconds to load, Google takes one. The consumer is highly disincentivised from visiting Yahoo.

     
    This will lead to a situation where financially powerful companies will pay carriers while their rivals, even with better products, will be forced to see their sites load slowly. It will lead to a collapse of the start-up market and negatively impact innovation.

     
    The second aspect of paid prioritisation is free data. Say WhatsApp pays carriers so that the data used for the app is not counted towards the consumer’s data cap. Again, the consumer is disincentivised to use its rivals. The problem arises when a clearly inferior product is given preference. This goes against the grain of the internet, where meritocracy rules.

     
    In light of this, Facebook and Google’s recent decision to join the COAI (Cellular Operators Association of India) is worrying. The COAI counts among its members carriers like Airtel and Vodafone, lobbying the government and Trai to do away with net neutrality. This contradicts their stance in the US, where they joined a coalition of companies to advocate for net neutrality.
     
    Carriers must stop trying to enforce old paradigms in a new marketplace. Otherwise, they will end up on the the wrong side of history.

     
    The writer is a recent graduate from SRCC, Delhi University
     


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