Facebook's Free Basics - zero-rating platform

Free Basics, Facebook's non-profit initiative that aims to bring Internet connectivity to the underprivileged in developing regions, has run into trouble in India now.

Under Free Basics, Facebook is offering a range of services for free to thousands of users, but advocates and enthusiasts in the country are strongly encouraging users to discard Facebook's initiative. Why? Lets find out the facts behind the scene …

• What is Facebook's Free Basics?

First of all, it wasn't called Free Basics until September 2015. Formerly, it was known as Internet.org. The initiative is meant to provide free access to the Internet to the underprivileged in developing nations. 

Facebook has launched the initiative in 15 nations thus far, including India, where it debuted Internet.org in February this year in partnership with RCom, the fourth largest carrier in the country.

 A Department of Telecom (DoT) panel report a few months later opposed projects like Facebook's Internet.org in its recommendations, while suggesting that similar plans such as Airtel Zero be allowed with prior clearance from Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai).

• What's the problem with Free Basics?

The bone that net neutrality activists have to pick with Free Basics is that it is a zero-rating platform, in that it provides free access to a limited number of services, but not to all. That it's not bringing unlimited access to the Internet to people, but access to a very small subset of the Internet. 

In India, for instance, the company with RCom was to offer access to 38 websites and services. These services included some news providers, some entertainment websites, and some infotainment websites, but each of their competitors was left out in the cold, with users having to continue to pay to access them. Reliance users across the country can access these pre-selected services for free, through this has now been put on hold following a directive issued by Trai.

• what is net neutrality?

The idea behind net neutrality is simple - treat all sites equally to give everyone a fair chance at growth, and reject the idea of monopolies. The term net neutrality was first coined by lawyer and scholar Tim Wu in 2003 in an academic paper also titled 'Network Neutrality, Broadband Discrimination,' which said that Internet service providers must treat all traffic on their networks equally.

• What are the experts saying?

Perhaps no-one's opinion is as significant as that of Tim Berners-Lee - the man who invented the World Wide Web. Berners-Lee earlier this year advised users to say no to zero-rating programs such as Free Basics. He added that anything offered in the name of the "Internet" which isn't the "full Internet", isn't really free and public.

• How does the regulation work?

The good thing is that Facebook doesn't have the authority to do whatever it desires, and that authorities are taking public opinion into account before they pass a network neutrality  regulation. 

Trai, the independent regulator of the telecommunications business in the country, regulates all Internet access in India and is seeking our opinion on whether Free Basics or any other programs should be introduced, with its latest consultation paper.

 

Many have so far stood to voice their opinion against Free Basics initiative. Addressing growing concerns from users, this week, Trai asked Reliance Communications to temporarily suspend the Free Basics service, and the telecom operator has obliged. 

What can you do?
Trai is inviting comments on a consultation paper on "differential data pricing," where users are charged different amounts (or not at all) depending on which app, website or service they are consuming data on. 

Users can email advisorfea1@trai.gov.in and share their view until December 31. or you can go to SaveTheInternet.in to quickly send a pre-written response in this regard.