Flipkart just ruined the net neutrality program by joining Airtel Zero
Below is a comment thread, on the original Link which I found to be a great discussion and hence decided to post it here. Abhishek - Random Dude, Shubhs - Me
Telecom giant
eCommerce biggie
flawed arguments.
Heard of Internet.org project of Facebook??
It is a similar model and is not in any way a threat to net neutrality.
All they are doing is proving it’s users with some websites for free and the cost of that partially comes from the developer. If i as a developer opts out of this program its not that they are cutting me off its just that this time the cost would come to the consumer and he will buy a data plan as we do now to access these sites.
Why airtel is doing this?
They are giving a glimpse of internet to their current users who are not using internet for free so that they also know about that great invention and its many benefits and would buy their data plans to access the whole internet.
How is this not against net neutrality?
The term net neutrality refers to the concept where an ISP has to treat each and every website equally.. Means a wealthy developer can not pay the ISP an amount so that their website is given priority over someone others’.
Internet.org is a completely different endeavor. The principles on which it is built are completely different. It aims to provide internet to the remotest and the most backward people. People who do not have access to clean water will have internet access.
Net Neutrality is a very large issue, Prioritizing some bits over others. Like giving less bandwidth to Netflix and youtube as they are data suckers.
Please dont criticize the internet.org program. Try to understand it’s purpose.
Internet.org is similar to this airtel zero program in every aspect except the fact that it airtel zero is an ISP’s program and internet.org is a facebook’s endeavor which requires ISP’s to provide basic internet for free for the incentive of people after getting a glimpse of internet through this would buy internet plans to see the whole internet.
“Net Neutrality is a very large issue, Prioritizing some bits over others. Like giving less bandwidth to Netflix and youtube as they are data suckers.” Agreed with every word of yours.
But anywhere in this airtel zero program it is written that they would deliberately slow down the competitive websites of the websites which signs up for their airtel zero program. What can give them this power is that stupid bill that TRAI is pushing for these companies ( not to mention because of some lobbying by these companies) but airtel zero in its current form poses no threat to net neutrality.
PS: facebook do not pay a penny to ISP’s which provide internet for free under internet.orgumbrella.
In simple terms “Airtel Zero is a threat to Net Neutrality”
Why- Beacuse Flipkart is free to browse while Amazon is not[just 1 example]
Why- Beacuse Flipkart agreed to pay a fee in advance to Airtel Result- Airtel PREFERS Flipkart’s bits over Amazons’s It’s not about “slowing” something, just about “preference”, why some websites are preferred while others are not?
End of story
It’s a threat to Net-Neutrality when same bits are treated differently just because their origin is different. It’s a threat to Net-Neutrality when same data amount is charged differently just because it is a different type of data (like the case of VoIP).
what’s not a threat to net neutrality is an organisation (in this case either airtel or facebook) wants to provide a glimpse of internet for free but would like you to pay similarly as per data charges to access the rest of the internet. These services are not targeted towards current internet users like you or me but for those who are still not connected to the internet. And I can see how this novel plan can turn into an evil if this goes unchecked ( http://goo.gl/u0mCXZ)). This above article discusses the threats it possesses to Net-Neutrality. What TRAI should be doing is to limit the no. of such subscribers and not allow the Organisations to include everyone into this program.
And as it goes for the preference part it’s not airtel it’s you who want to use flipkart and not amazon. You can always choose to use services which you like by subscribing to an internet plan ( which are regulated by TRAI) and use it. And if then you experience slow speed on amazon and relatively fast speed on flipkart then it’s a violation of Net-Neutrality.
Okay one more simple example-
I am a modest developer who developed an eCommerce website. Apart from all the regular advertising, now because of the Airtel Zero plan I have to also pay a fee to airtel to make sure my website becomes “preferred” and is visible to a larger no of audience. The competition literally dies here.
Suppose from tomorrow 10 other carriers also start such plans, I now have to pay 10 other fees to make sure my website is visible, then take care of regional carriers such as Dolphin/ Rainbow. If this becomes global, I have to pay fees to AT&T, Sprint, Verizon etc. You get the idea.
If we accept this, who knows someday the carriers might also consider differentiating in speeds of particular premium websites. The idea is to nip the devil in the bud. Why preferential treatment, the internet was developed on the notion of equality and such a venture bludgeons it. Each and every bit of internet must be treated equally over all the carriers.
What is acceptable is that Airtel can set caps to data like 50 MB per day[access any site], or 30 minutes per day [access any site], what is the problem with this? This is empowerment in true sense, making flipkart and couple of other websites free [after charging them] is not. Hope you understand the crux.
I can see what’s your concern is and that is what is called positive discrimination.
Now isn’t Internet.org is helping some people and same way airtel zero would also help some people. What can turn this novel idea into an evil is that there is no limit to the no. of subscribers that this free platform can offer like ( only 20 necessary websites are allowed or something like that) or the way you suggested where there is a cap on the amount of data used ( which in my view hinders the purpose of being helpful all the time). But this notion that it should not be allowed because it can be evil is not a step towards progress. What needs to be done is to ask TRAI to formulate rules which allows this ideas but do not let it turn into an evil.
Now the part where you mentioned what stops these telecom industries to discriminate in terms of speed for the premium websites. The answer is again TRAI.
A very fruitful discussion with you. I agree with you. Its just that people like you and me have to critically examine each and every step that these corporations and politicians take. After all they define the way we live. However I am glad that we have found a middle ground.
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