On Facebook, Zuckerburg says disappointed with Trai directive

TRAI said that Internet service providers would not be allowed to discriminate on pricing of data access for different web services.

That realization isn’t entirely surprising as some in India have resisted the initiative for almost a year now.

India telecom regulatory authority TRAI has banned limited free internet access programs and essentially blocked Facebook’s Free Basics in the country.

The debate heated up after Airtel launched free Internet platform Airtel Zero and later Facebook launched its Internet.Org platform, renamed as Free Basics.

India has on Monday elected for net neutrality, banning immediately any differential pricing for data – that means no content can be offered at discounted rates. “Congratulations to all those who campaigned tirelessly & fought hard to ensure that our internet remains free & equal for all”, the office of Rahul Gandhi tweeted. We are all disappointed that people in India won’t be able to take advantage of Free Basics – but glad that our other work with Internet.org continues. Zuckerberg visited India as part of the Facebook plan to extend internet access across the country.

As many declared the regulator’s decision on Monday as a victory for a free internet, some also chose to combine sympathy with humour to commiserate with the Facebook boss. “If a service provider is in contravention of these regulations, TRAI may direct them to withdraw tariff”, TRAI chairman R.S. Sharma told a press conference.

Blocking the Free Basics program is a blow to Facebook since India would be an important market for Facebook to increase its user base with its population of 1.2 billion people.

They said that since most Indians weren’t online yet, these programs had the power to shape the understanding of the internet for newcomers.

With this, Facebook’s Free Basics is dead in India. His company spent millions advertising their position and even ran special banners urging users to petition the Indian government to accept Free Basics. “We know that for every 10 people connected to the internet, roughly one is lifted out of poverty”.