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WORDS OF CAUTION FROM TRAI
It has suggested changing licence
terms of players to explicitly
restrict any form of discrimination
Trai Bars Operators from in Internet access based on
content. The regulator has
Discriminatory Practice on cautioned that discriminatory
treatment would include any form
Net Access of restriction or interference
including practices like blocking,
degrading, slowing down or
granting preferential speeds. Trai
In February last year, Trai addressed a part of Net neutrality which was under
its jurisdiction. It barred platforms like Facebook’s Internet.Org and Airtel also sought to bar services
providers from inking pacts that
Zero which allowed free access to select websites to check ‘gate-keeping’ in have “effect of discriminatory
cyber space —By Moumita Bakshi Chatterjee
treatment based on content,
sender or receiver, protocols or
Telecom regulator Trai has Pai’s proposal, which calls for user equipment”. Its has however
recommended prohibiting Internet reclassifying ISPs as information made a provision to exempt
service providers from making any services instead of common “specialised services” from its
discrimination in traffic while carriers, is scheduled to be voted principles of discriminatory
providing web access by either on by the full commission next treatment, clarifying that
blocking or throttling some apps, relaxation would only be applicable
websites and services or by to those services where optimising
offering ‘fast lanes’ to others. In In Brief is necessary in order to meet
its much awaited recommendations  Trai has recommended specific quality of service
on Net neutrality, the Telecom prohibiting Internet service requirements.
Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) providers from making any It has said that Internet of
upheld the principles of Internet as discrimination in traffic while Things, with exception to critical
an open platform. Trai, which had providing web access. IoT, would have to adhere to the
last year barred discrimination in  In its much awaited restrictions on non discriminatory
Net access through differential recommendations on Net treatment. “The authority
pricing, wants to “regulate the neutrality, Trai upheld the recommends that the terms of
manner in which the current principles of Internet as an various license agreements
licensing requirement of open platform. governing the provision of Internet
unrestricted access to all content services in India be amended in
 If the proposals are accepted,
on the Internet is implemented and order to incorporate the principles
enforced”, during pendency of a the ISPs will not be able to of non-discriminatory treatment of
block or throttle any web
decision on its recommendations by content by Internet Access
the government. traffic. Services along with the appropriate
 The new rule will help in
If the proposals are accepted, exclusions and exceptions,” Trai
the Internet service providers building uniformity in the said. The new rule will help in
(ISPs) will not be able to block or terms of governing the building uniformity in the terms of
throttle any web traffic, be it on provision of Internet governing the provision of Internet
computers, laptops or mobile services. services by different categories of
phones, and offer fast lanes for licensees, it said. The regulator has
content providers who pay for the recommended that DoT may
privilege. Trai recommendations month. Trai’s recommendations establish a multi-stakeholder body
come days after US Federal pave the way to end all sorts of comprising telecom operators,
Communications Commission discriminatory practices that ISPs, content providers, civil
chairman Ajit Pai proposed to telecom operators may exercise to society organisations and
dismantle the 2015 rules that differentiate among services and consumer representatives to
require ISPs to treat all content content over the Internet such as monitor and probe violations.
travelling through their pipes reducing its speed for accessing This body would be “responsible
equally. online video. for developing technical standards
March 2018 Competition Wizard 73