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Department of Telecom

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Seeking comments on TRAI’s Consultation Paper on Differential Pricing for Data Services

Start Date :

Dec 10, 2015

Last Date :

Jan 15, 2016

00:00 AM IST (GMT +5.30 Hrs)

Submission Closed

The past few years have witnessed tremendous growth in data usage and quite a large number of data tariff offers are made available by the service providers. The regulatory ...

The past few years have witnessed tremendous growth in data usage and quite a large number of data tariff offers are made available by the service providers. The regulatory guidelines till now on discrimination and transparency in tariff offers were more focused to address the regulatory concerns in voice telephony. The growth of data usage and the manner in which data schemes are being designed by service providers currently, calls for a re-look at the regulatory principles of non-discriminatory tariff and transparency measures in the context of data tariff offers.

It has come to the notice of TRAI that some service providers are offering differential data tariff with free or discounted tariffs to certain contents of certain websites/applications/platforms. The objective of offering such schemes is claimed to be the desire of various service providers/content providers or platform providers to enable the consumers, especially the poor, to access certain content on the internet free of charge.
Where reduced rates are tied to specific content, potentially, both positive and negative effects arise from an economic and regulatory perspective. On the one hand, it appears to make overall internet access more affordable by reducing costs of certain types of content. On the other hand, several negative effects might ensue. Differential tariffs results in classification of subscribers based on the content they want to access (those who want to access non-participating content will be charged at a higher rate than those who want to access participating content). This may potentially go against the principle of non-discriminatory tariff.
Therefore, the potential benefits and disadvantages of such practices have to be weighed in order to determine the regulatory approach.

In this background, TRAI has issued a consultation paper on the issue of differential pricing for data services seeking comments from stakeholders on certain issues as enumerated below:

i. Should the TSPs be allowed to have differential pricing for data usage for accessing different websites, applications or platforms?

ii. If differential pricing for data usage is permitted, what measures should be adopted to ensure that the principles of non-discrimination, transparency, affordable internet access, competition and market entry and innovation are addressed?

iii. Are there alternative methods/technologies/business models, other than differentiated tariff plans, available to achieve the objective of providing free internet access to the consumers? If yes, please suggest/describe these methods/technologies/business models. Also, describe the potential benefits and disadvantages associated with such methods/technologies/business models?

Through this forum of My Gov, TRAI invites the comments of the stakeholders on the above issues by 7th January, 2015.

Consultation Paper on Differential Pricing for Data Services

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Harveer SIngh_3 10 years 7 months ago

There should not be any kind of discrimination, i mean how can a Telecom operator decide that what i should consume, i am paying them for Internet access, they are not owner of Internet to decide that. and if government want to earn more by doing this then it just bullshit there a lot of way to do that.

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Harveer SIngh_3 10 years 7 months ago

#TRAI should not give power to anyone to control flow of user on internet.this the time where Telecom operator have to improve their service to survive in competitive world .basically now telecom operator feeling insecure in this internet competitive world because they know that,there are lots of rising entrepreneur,who is providing better services in less. it just a attempt to block the new idea !!!!or no one create a Site better than facebook ,twitter etc.

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SHANMUKHA SRINIVAS 10 years 7 months ago

sir , i donot support ur view of introducing telecoms to judge and restict the data used by the citizens of india as it doesnt support the growth but also changes der is a loss of loosing the creativity from the internet service. the way of difference in charging from one site to the other is not at all the good decision..we wantt net neutarlity i.e. the data should be accessed by everyone ..everywhere and everything with same charges irrespective of the telecoms.

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Vaisakh M Varrier 10 years 7 months ago

i. Internet was always open to all and should remain that way,any sort of discrimination whether its Price,Bandwidth or any other violates the principle of net neutrality.ii. Price discrimination in internet would ensure that transparency and innovation and all that the Internet stands for be violated and as a result no amount of measures would never make internet as it is now.iii.Allowances of data usage for all, BSNL ensuring free data usage to rural students.

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mithun padmakumar 10 years 7 months ago

As aptly said by Ravi Krishna, "Data services should be charged for the volume of data and/or for width of the bandwidth, however it should treat all data equally. There can be no discrimination between various websites, apps, or OTT services, a carrier of data is like a supplier of electricity, the electricity distribution company changes for units with a slab system. Electricity distribution companies do not change more if people use electricity for an ac or LED TV, less for a simple bulb."

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Raghavendra Gaonkar 10 years 7 months ago

No. Telecom operators should not be allowed to have differential tarrif based on the contents accessed. It does block people from innovating new apps/products. It should not be difficult for people to pay for internet, if they can afford to by phones/computers.

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Abinaya Ankur Raut 10 years 7 months ago

i wish that each and every individual should be able to access all of internet and not just some part on free basics.i wish net neutrality to be implemented to it's fullest and let telecom operators like airtel destroy the sanctity. Also facebook must be discouraged to distort the facts and do things for it's own benefits.

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Kshitij Patil_1 10 years 7 months ago

No, the suggestions do not " On the one hand, it appears to make overall internet access more affordable by reducing costs of certain types of content. ", instead the proposals make only a very very veryyyy small part of the internet free to the poor people which is promoting anti free trade practices and unfair competition all in favour of Facebook, Telcos and their partners. This suggestion if converted into a bill & if passed will lead to a massive revolt and pushback.

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Ravi Krishna_2 10 years 7 months ago

Data services should be charged for the volume of data and/or for width of the bandwidth, however it should treat all data equally. There can be no discrimination between various websites, apps, or OTT services, a carrier of data is like a supplier of electricity, the electricity distribution company changes for units with a slab system. Electricity distribution companies do not change more if people use electricity for an ac or LED TV, less for a simple bulb. Data should be similarly priced.

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Apanjot Singh_1 10 years 7 months ago

Internet is form of an utility service and telcos should only have be allowed to perform maintenance of these information super highways. Net Neutrality is that all the content providers should be equally treated while their data travel through the information super highway aka. Internet. I DON'T SUPPORT INTERNET.ORG, AIRTEL ZERO, FREE BASIC and the likes. Let equality prevail and internet be free.

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