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Policy Watch No.2

Net Neutrality and Keeping the Internet Free in India

In February 2016, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released the "Prohibition of Discriminatory Tariffs for Data Services Regulations, 2016". The Regulations have triggered a debate on the issue of pricing access to the internet. Supporters of net neutrality welcomed the February 2016 Regulations, but others criticised it as 'over-regulation'. This paper seeks to understand the issue of network neutrality, the principles underlying the debate, the key outcomes of the Regulations, the impact on stakeholders, and answer some main criticisms.

In February 2016, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released the “Prohibition of Discriminatory Tariffs for Data Services Regulations, 2016”.

The Regulations have triggered a debate on the issue of pricing access to the internet. Supporters of net neutrality welcomed the February 2016 Regulations, but others criticised it as ‘over-regulation’.

This paper seeks to understand the issue of network neutrality, the principles underlying the debate, the key outcomes of the Regulations, the impact on stakeholders, and answer some main criticisms.

[PDF 2.79 MB]

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