NEW DELHI: New web neutrality suggestions released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) on Tuesday says that internet and telecom provider suppliers should treat on-line data in a nondiscriminatory way.
However, the regulator has made two important exemptions. The first is on content supply networks or CDNs. CDNs just remember to connect to the best suited servers in a way that your videos buffer temporarily, internet pages load faster or that your downloads are faster.
The 2nd exemption is on "specialised services," a time period used by Trai, for those services that want special community requirements corresponding to telemedicine or middle screens. Experts say these exemptions, and Trai's rationale for instituting them, are in music with the broader concept of web neutrality, which mandates that each one on-line data should be treated similarly, and that internet and telecom provider suppliers do not decelerate one utility to favour any other, or discriminate between various internet services relating to internet pack pricingmodels.
While defining specialised services, Trai has specified that these can't come with a provider that simply mirrors or substitutes a regular internet provider. For example, one thing like Facebook's Free Basics would no longer be classified as a specialised provider. Trai offers examples corresponding to "connectivity bundled with e-readers, heart monitors, energy consumption sensors, limited-purpose devices such as automobile telematics, and services that provide schools with curriculum-approved applications." VoIP and IPTV services may also qualify as specialised services. Licensing rules will have to keep up as this definition is made narrower.
"In the event that a service provider proposes to carry out any other categories of specialised services an enabling provision relating to the same may need to be introduced in the licence. Accordingly, the DoT (department of telecom) may amend the licence from time to time to specify the categories of services permitted to be carried out by licensed service providers," the Trai advice says, aside from the Internet of Things (IoT) from the class of "specialised services." With IoT, home equipment can be embedded into the community infrastructure enabling them to be in contact and be remotely operated with digital programs.
For instance, your fridge may just order milkonline. Supreme Court attorney Apar Gupta says a tighter definition of specialized services would have served higher. "Specialised services have not been defined precisely. Opening the door for licence amendments can create a risk for potential net neutrality violations. But to be fair, some degree of rationality will come through with the implementation, since there are restrictions on defining internet access services as specialised services," he says. Rajan Mathews, who heads COAI says that while the exemptions on specialised services are fascinating, "we have to make sure people don't create an arbitrage and misuse them."
Mathews takes exception to IoT no longer being integrated in specialised services, pronouncing that Trai's place is untimely. "It is a little too early to bring it under a net neutrality regime. We should let it develop first," he says. Entrepreneur and Internet Freedom Foundation's core member Nikhil Pahwa, says since CDNs are eager about network-to-network access and potency only, their exemption is not discriminatory.
"Optimisations within networks to reduce latency are fine and do not violate net neutrality," says Pahwa, who has been advocating web neutrality since 2015. However, Trai has advisable that internet provider suppliers (ISPs) and telecom provider suppliers (TSPs) divulge their phrases of such engagements with CDNs to users. "...there is a need for more transparency relating to the arrangements between TSPs and CDNs. Knowledge of such arrangements would be useful for gaining a proper understanding of factors affecting the flow of traffic on the internet, potential for anti-competitive practices and to monitor violations of the non-discrimination requirements by TSPs," Trai mentioned.
Technology firms corresponding to Akamai run CDNs which can be used by various ISPs. Trai has mentioned that CDNs "should not be included within the scope of any restrictions on non-discriminatory treatment, which are designed specifically to cover the providers of Internet Access Services."
However, the regulator has made two important exemptions. The first is on content supply networks or CDNs. CDNs just remember to connect to the best suited servers in a way that your videos buffer temporarily, internet pages load faster or that your downloads are faster.
The 2nd exemption is on "specialised services," a time period used by Trai, for those services that want special community requirements corresponding to telemedicine or middle screens. Experts say these exemptions, and Trai's rationale for instituting them, are in music with the broader concept of web neutrality, which mandates that each one on-line data should be treated similarly, and that internet and telecom provider suppliers do not decelerate one utility to favour any other, or discriminate between various internet services relating to internet pack pricingmodels.
While defining specialised services, Trai has specified that these can't come with a provider that simply mirrors or substitutes a regular internet provider. For example, one thing like Facebook's Free Basics would no longer be classified as a specialised provider. Trai offers examples corresponding to "connectivity bundled with e-readers, heart monitors, energy consumption sensors, limited-purpose devices such as automobile telematics, and services that provide schools with curriculum-approved applications." VoIP and IPTV services may also qualify as specialised services. Licensing rules will have to keep up as this definition is made narrower.
"In the event that a service provider proposes to carry out any other categories of specialised services an enabling provision relating to the same may need to be introduced in the licence. Accordingly, the DoT (department of telecom) may amend the licence from time to time to specify the categories of services permitted to be carried out by licensed service providers," the Trai advice says, aside from the Internet of Things (IoT) from the class of "specialised services." With IoT, home equipment can be embedded into the community infrastructure enabling them to be in contact and be remotely operated with digital programs.
For instance, your fridge may just order milkonline. Supreme Court attorney Apar Gupta says a tighter definition of specialized services would have served higher. "Specialised services have not been defined precisely. Opening the door for licence amendments can create a risk for potential net neutrality violations. But to be fair, some degree of rationality will come through with the implementation, since there are restrictions on defining internet access services as specialised services," he says. Rajan Mathews, who heads COAI says that while the exemptions on specialised services are fascinating, "we have to make sure people don't create an arbitrage and misuse them."
Mathews takes exception to IoT no longer being integrated in specialised services, pronouncing that Trai's place is untimely. "It is a little too early to bring it under a net neutrality regime. We should let it develop first," he says. Entrepreneur and Internet Freedom Foundation's core member Nikhil Pahwa, says since CDNs are eager about network-to-network access and potency only, their exemption is not discriminatory.
"Optimisations within networks to reduce latency are fine and do not violate net neutrality," says Pahwa, who has been advocating web neutrality since 2015. However, Trai has advisable that internet provider suppliers (ISPs) and telecom provider suppliers (TSPs) divulge their phrases of such engagements with CDNs to users. "...there is a need for more transparency relating to the arrangements between TSPs and CDNs. Knowledge of such arrangements would be useful for gaining a proper understanding of factors affecting the flow of traffic on the internet, potential for anti-competitive practices and to monitor violations of the non-discrimination requirements by TSPs," Trai mentioned.
Technology firms corresponding to Akamai run CDNs which can be used by various ISPs. Trai has mentioned that CDNs "should not be included within the scope of any restrictions on non-discriminatory treatment, which are designed specifically to cover the providers of Internet Access Services."
Net neutrality exemptions fine: Experts
![Net neutrality exemptions fine: Experts]()
Reviewed by Kailash
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November 29, 2017
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