After facing backlash in India, Facebook’s ‘Free Basics’ Blocked in Egypt

“We’re disappointed that Free Basics will no longer be available in Egypt”, it said.

Sharma said the authority has decided that those places where they have the email ids of these template responses, Trai will respond back to them asking to answer the questions raised in the paper along with their justifications.

In India, the service was shut down by the TRAI (the Indian telecom regulatory agency), but it is not known if the same is the case with Egypt also.

But critics of the service say it undermines the principle of net neutrality – the idea that all internet traffic should be treated equally.

Not satisfied with such “invalid” answers, TRAI has now chose to ask such respondents (who sent comments on Free Basics) to send comments on specific questions pertaining to differential pertaining, rather than supporting “Free Basics”. The deadlines won’t be extended again, it added. We are asking why you think it is yes or no because that helps us in formulating the policy or guidelines.

The regulator has received 381,000 comments from people claiming to be supporters of net neutrality.

The program, which was launched in over 35 developing countries across the globe, offers a pared-down web service for mobile phones, as well as access to the social network of the company and its messaging services, without any charge.

Social networking giant Facebook’s free basics initiative service that provides limited free Internet access was suspended in Egypt after a permit required from the government was not renewed. As per SavetheInternet forum, the net neutrality principle says that Internet service providers should not block or discriminate against any applications or content that rides over their networks.

While Free Basics is now on ice in Egypt and India, the program could make a comeback after regulators in each country have a chance to examine it. While Free Basics toes the line with net neutrality, it is hard to argue the benefits of bringing more people to the modern age, making the issue a worthwhile discussion for each nation in the program.