India Saves Net Neutrality as TRAI bans Facebook’s Free Basics, Zuckerberg Responds

The regulator said Facebook’s FB, -4.15% Free Basics service violated the principles of net neutrality, which call for equal treatment of all traffic on the Internet.

The Free Basics program provided users with free access to job postings, sports updates, travel guides, news updates and other services. “While disappointed with the outcome, we will continue our efforts to eliminate barriers and give the unconnected an easier path to the Internet and the opportunities it brings”, Facebook spokesperson said in a statement.

The TRAI said it does not prohibit the provision of limited free data to users which enable them to access the entire Internet. In 2013, Zuckerberg launched Free Basics in partnership with a number of technology firms to make internet more accessible to 4 billion people as mentioned in an article featured in The Washington Post. “We care about these people, and that’s why we’re so committed to connecting them”, he said.

The Free Basic service package includes Facebook, weather forecasts, Wikipedia, BBC and some health sites.

However, the regulations issued by TRAI on Monday block access to the “Free Basics” services in India.

“TSPs are prohibited from offering different tariffs based on the content, service, application or other data that a user is accessing or transmitting on the Internet”. The company had been heavily promoting the service, and had been releasing newspaper ads to facebook ads to even offline promotions regarding the free basics. “We will keep connecting the world”. “That mission continues, and so does our commitment to India” he concluded. Differential pricing for data would have been a huge blow to small businesses, content publishers and users across the country.

The program would use the same concept as those used by other ISPs, which offer access to zero-rated services to encourage their subscribers to use those programs more often than the others.

The decision in favour of net neutrality was made after a lengthy 11-month national debate and a broad public consultation involving over one million submissions from individual citizens, civil society and businesses.

“While we’re disappointed with today’s decision”, he wrote.