So I shot off a mail to Mr Rao Inderjit SIngh, regarding Net Neutrality. Hope he responds. Also feel free to copy/paste and modify to send it to your own MP/MLA if needed. His emails are mpgurgaon@gmail.com, rao.inderjit@sansad.nic.in
Text is as follows:
Letter to Mr Rao Inderjit Singh, MP, Gurgaon Constituency, Haryana
Hello Mr Singh I'm a student, based in Gurgaon. I use Facebook. I stay in touch with my friends via Whatsapp. I buy products on e commerce websites. And I talk to my cousins in other countries via Skype. Why am I telling you all this? Because it seems, that soon, YOU and ME won't be able to do this. We won't be able to access these sites even if we pay for 3G or broadband internet packs. How? I'd like to tell you respected sir.
Companies like Airtel are trying to violate Net Neutrality. What this means is that simply: If I pay Rs 100 for 3G, I still won't be able to post pictures on Facebook until I buy the Facebook Addon pack. Same goes for trying to Whatsapp, buying products on ecommerce sites, and trying to Skype my friends. Airtel, and companies like Airtel are trying to make me pay for each website I access even if I pay them Rs 100 for the initial 3G pack. This is like saying that even after paying Rs 1000 for electricity, we have to pay more to run a refrigerator on it, and pay more to run a Air Conditioner on it.
The TRAI has released a consultation paper on this matter, and has set a deadline of 24th April 2015 to invite comments from ordinary citizens like us, asking us about such anti-competitive pricing and suggestions for the same. If we do not take up this matter then TRAI will subsequently allow such discriminating practises in India.
Gurgaon has become a hub of many MNCs and has offices of many startups, showing the world that there are many many entrepreneurs in India. IF a company like Airtel is allowed to have different pricing for different companies and allow big companies to pay them to prioritize their data, then such startups will cease to operate. The big companies will pay the Telecom Operators to stop/slow the data transfer of such startups, making their site and service inaccessible and forcing them to shut shop. This will eventually led to cartelization of companies and stop the entry of new players in the market and effectively going against the spirit of competition that this country stands so proudly upon.
Sir, with all due respect I urge you to take up this matter at the National Level, something I believe you can do since you're our elected representative. It may seem at first that internet should not be on a high priority list of a developing country's agenda, but if something isn't done right now, we will be victims of the lax attitude of our Internet Laws and be at the mercy of these telecom operators who can charge us anything they desire. And there goes the dream a free and equal internet. We will be victims of profiteering.
A colleague of yours, Mr Tathagata Satpathy, MP from Dhenkanal, Orissa, and a member of the BJP, has clearly announced his support for us and has sent a letter to TRAI to stop the Telecom Operators from making such a move. More can be found here: http://ift.tt/1yVPpoX & here: http://ift.tt/1c3Vr2b A Petition by Indian Internet users can be found here: http://ift.tt/1EfSxCe Articles by leading newspapers can be found here: http://ift.tt/19PQF6D http://ift.tt/1GVBeXI http://ift.tt/1I132s6 http://ift.tt/1JAibBV http://ift.tt/1ISRG9L This article shows how Net Neutrality is crucial to Mr Modi's Digital India Plan. http://ift.tt/1PxS7LZ http://ift.tt/1DTKkFh The websites that sit at the forefront of our movement are: http://ift.tt/1ckVbM5 & http://ift.tt/1aKjcfh A useful read: http://ift.tt/1DTKkFh Most resources and a database of the same can be found at : http://ift.tt/1JAiahi
Sir, we cannot just stand back and let these big companies take away our right to a free internet and fair data accessibility. Hence I implore you to take this up at the National Level.
Yours Sincerely A Concerned Gurgaon Netizen
Submitted April 11, 2015 at 11:54PM by Kkapoorr http://ift.tt/1I38NFK india
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