Opposing Airtel Zero and Facebook's Free Basics types platforms, IT industry body Nasscom on Monday said such platforms violate net neutrality principles by differentiating internet access for certain types of services. Sanjiv Bikhchandani, Chairman, NASSCOM Internet Council said, “Differential pricing should not become a tool that facilitates market dominance or enables anti-competitive behavior by either TSP or platform provider. It should not offer direct or indirect commercial benefit including leveraging the value of customer data generated in the process. Further it should not offer lower prices for own or partner content/ service. Instead of differential pricing for select data services for wide access, transparent business models should be adopted without segmenting the internet or skewing competition”.
Facebook India has expended millions of dollars in the past few weeks buying expensive newspaper real estate and billboards to advertise the program. Its campaigners got 1.4 million emails sent to the country’s telecom regulator in favor of Free Basics. But that move has backfired as Facebook is facing allegations that it misled users into unknowingly signing support for Free Basics.
Facebook India has expended millions of dollars in the past few weeks buying expensive newspaper real estate and billboards to advertise the program. Its campaigners got 1.4 million emails sent to the country’s telecom regulator in favor of Free Basics. But that move has backfired as Facebook is facing allegations that it misled users into unknowingly signing support for Free Basics.
