(a) whether the expert committee constituted on Net Neutrality has submitted its report to the Government;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the major recommendations;
(c) whether the Government has taken a decision to adopt the recommendations made by the said committee for implementation; and
(d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?
THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS &
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
(SHRI MANOJ SINHA)
(a) & (b) In order to have proper policy response with respect to various issues involved in Net Neutrality, Government had constituted a committee to examine various aspects of Net Neutrality in January, 2015. In its report submitted on 28.05.2015, the committee has recommended various measures including adherence to core principles of Net Neutrality.
The major recommendations of the committee related to Net Neutrality, inter alia, are as under:
i. User rights on the Internet need to be ensured so that TSPs (Telecom Service Providers) /ISPs (Internet Service Providers) do not restrict the ability of the user to send, receive, display, use, post any legal content, application or service on the Internet, or restrict any kind of lawful Internet activity or use.
ii. A clause, requiring licensee to adhere to the core principles of Net Neutrality, as specified by guidelines issued by the licensor from time to time, should be incorporated in the license conditions of TSPs/ISPs.
iii. Legitimate traffic management practices may be allowed but should be tested against the core principles of Net Neutrality.
iv. Managed services are a necessary requirement for businesses and enterprises, and suitable exceptions may be made for the treatment of such services in the Net Neutrality context.
v. Content and application providers cannot be permitted to act as gatekeepers and use network operations to extract value in violation of core principles of Net Neutrality, even if it is for an ostensible public purpose.
(c) & (d) Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has also submitted its recommendations on Net Neutrality to Department of Telecommunications (DoT) on 28th November, 2017. The recommendations are being examined by the Government.
Government is committed to the fundamental principles and concept of Net Neutrality and strives for non-discriminatory access to Internet for all citizens of the country. DoT shall finalise policy direction on various aspects of Net Neutrality after taking into account the recommendations of Committee on Net Neutrality, TRAI recommendations on the subject and comments & suggestions received in this regard.