Everyone should have the right to Internet
The principles of equality in cyberspace is right. The Telecom Regulatory
Authority of India (TRAI) must be congratulated for upholding this core
principle. Access to internet
remains non-discriminatory. In a highly digitised world, internet has become
the basic infrastructure that advances the free speech rights of citizens. It
offers equal opportunities to everyone.
The consumers use internet to drive
up their productivity and improve awareness.
Net neutrality is the pivotal concept which makes uniform usage of
internet without differentiation for entity. But such flawless usage depends
upon the fair play of the telecom operators who may show partiality between
service utilisers. Inernet gives equal platform to every one regarding its
usage. But the operators are with different marketing concept and they may
differentiate. A monitoring agency is needed to do the job of watching the
performance of operators in consonance with net neutrality.
TRAI wants ‘neutral’ Net to push free speech. Curbs on access can hamper
innovation, growth. TRAI upheld the
basic principles of Net neutrality, disallowing telecom operators from
prioritising, throttling or blocking content on their networks. TSPs may exercise
their ability to disadvantage/advantage certain content over others, which
could potentially harm innovation and competition in the internet ecosystem,
and the broader telecom sector.
Allowing the gatekeepers of the infrastructure to differentiate on the
basis of content, would impose negative externalities on the rest of the
network. This would have a direct impact on the health of the internet services
sector as a whole internet use should be facilitated so that it advances the
free speech rights of citizens, by ensuring diversity of views, opinions, and
ideas.
The provision of any specialised services should be excluded from the
principle of non-discrimination. These services will be decided by the government, but could cover
online healthcare. Telecom operators may deploy reasonable traffic management
practices to ensure they can use their network efficiently. Any such exceptions
must conform with the basic requirements of reasonableness, and should be
transparent. The Authority proposes to supplement its disclosure and
transparency requirements by framing additional regulations.
Internet is an important platform, especially in the context of
innovation, start-ups, online transactions, various government applications,
and the ‘Digital India’ programme. It is important that the platform is kept
open and free and not cannibalised. Internet for all is not negotiable
Information
Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the government will not allow
any company to restrict entry of Indians into the worldwide web. He said that
right of access is important and is not negotiable. The government plans to
make six crore people in rural areas digitally literate under the PM’s digital
literacy programme,
Under the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan, one crore
people in rural backward areas have already been made digitally literate, and
another six crore will be trained in the next two years. India is trying to
create an inclusive, safe and secure cyber space for sustainable development.
The focus is on looking beyond mere digitisation to digital technologies as
means to empower people.
As far as cyber diplomacy is concerned, in this new world order,
collaboration and cooperation among nation States is entering a new phase.
There is already recognition for such cooperation in areas such as cyber
defence and security. However, rules of engagement relating to international
concerns, including cyber warfare espionage and crime, need to be evolved.
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