DoT to Finalize Net Neutrality Plans For India Soon
Net Neutrality has become one of the major issues over the last year. The fear of telecom companies establishing a fast lane for folks who pay more and breaking down of internet services have enraged the public, and they have been demanding answers from their authorities. The Department of Telecom (DoT) in India has also said that it will be holding a committee hearing on net neutrality policies for India on February 12th.
The DoT is a part of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. The Department formulates developmental policies for the accelerated growth of the telecommunication service and is responsible for granting licenses for various telecom services.
An internal committee of the DoT headed by Mr.AK Bhargava is looking into the prospects of net neutrality. It is examining the advantages, disadvantages, and its economic implications for the telecom sector as well as the content creators. The committee will also come with a proper legal definition of the term too.
Recently the Federal Communication Commission of America had asked for comments from the citizens on the issue. They received overwhelming responses in favor of protecting net neutrality protections. The responses led to the commission opting for classifying the internet as a telecom service that will give FCC the right to regulate it. This was seen as a victory for the open internet advocates, but the telecom companies can still challenge it in court.
Net Neutrality is essential to the survival of the Internet as an open, creative space for expression of ideas and innovations. We hope the Indian government upholds this fundamental value of the internet for the benefit of the people of India.
