10.10.1. Net Neutrality

Net neutrality is the principle that individuals should be free to access all content and applications equally, regardless of the source, without Internet service providers discriminating against specific online services or websites.

Without net neutrality rules in place, ISPs can prevent users from visiting some websites, provide slower speeds for services like Netflix, or even redirect users from one website to a competing website. Net neutrality rules prevent this by requiring ISPs to connect users to all lawful content on the internet equally, without giving preferential treatment to certain sites or services.

In the absence of net neutrality, companies can buy priority access to ISP customers. Larger, wealthier companies like Google or Facebook can pay ISPs to provide faster, more reliable access to their websites than to potential competitors. This could deter innovative start-up services that are unable to purchase priority access from the ISPs. Also, if ISPs can charge online services to connect to consumers, consumers would ultimately bear these additional costs

The telecom regulator TRAI struck down differential pricing for internet services offered by telecom players to mobile users, in a bid to uphold the principles of net neutrality—serving a big blow to Facebook’s Free Basics and other zero-rated platforms such as Airtel Zero.