Net Nuetrality

Question 1

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI ) has upheld the basic principles of an open and free internet in its recommendations on net neutrality.

• Net neutrality means that telecom service providers must treat all internet traffic equally, without any regard to the type, origin or destination of the content or the means of its transmission. Proponents of net neutrality hold that all traffic on internet should be treated equally,
• i.e. service providers should allow access to all content without favouring any particular product or website.

Answer 1

TRAI Recommendations :

1. Prohibits Discrimination: It upholds basic principle of net neutrality by keeping Internet open and prohibits any discrimination on the basis of content by either blocking, throttling or fast-laning any websites, apps or web services.

Question 2

2. Protection of rights of citizens: The internet use should be facilitated in such manner that it advances free speech rights of citizens, by ensuring plurality and diversity of views, opinions and ideas. It also restrains ISPs from
   entering into pacts with any person which discriminates on content, protocol or user equipment.

Answer 2

These recommendations will now be vetted by DoT ( department of telecommunications) and after its approval, changes with effect to licence agreements of telecom firms will be made to accommodate net neutrality.

*TRAI’s proposal to adhere to net neutrality comes days after US Federal Communication Commission (FCC) had announced repealing of 2015 laws that aimed at upholding this broad principle of net neutrality.