Facebook ‘Free Basics’ service suspended in Egypt

The Free Basics service aims to offer people who do not have an Internet connection, free access to a handful of websites and a range of services through mobile phones.

A TechCrunch report added, “While Free Basics, which has launched in 37 countries so far, is meant to help more people in emerging economies get online, critics say that it violates net neutrality and question Facebook’s motives, since the services included in Free Basics include both its social network and Facebook Messenger”.

The industry group said also that even the pricing models suggested by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India in a discussion paper on differential pricing for data services contravene the watchdog’s own stated principles of being non-discriminatory, transparent, non-predatory, and non-misleading.

A debate on net neutrality stirred across the country after Airtel chose to charge separately for internet-based calls but withdrew it later after people protested. The regulator had received about 10 lakh comments on the first consultation paper it floated on net neutrality.

The government of India ordered the Free Basic plan from Facebook to be put on hold while it makes a decision on what it will do.

Indicating that the whole consultation process could have been hijacked, Sharma said: “It is like we have asked Question X and they have given answer to the Question Y”.

The regulator has received 381,000 comments from people claiming to be supporters of net neutrality. However, a majority of these responses -around 14 lakh – did not provide any answer to the questions posed by the regulator, and supported Free Basics.

He also explained why the deadline for submitting comments on the issue was extended by a week.

Trai extended the last date for receiving comments on its paper on differential data pricing to January 7 and January 14 for counter comments.

But critics say internet providers and mobile networks should not be offering cheaper or faster access to selected services.

Earlier this month, telecom regulator Trai has asked Reliance Communications to keep services of Facebook’s free Internet platform, Free Basics, in abeyance, till the issue on differential pricing is sorted out.