Airtel Zero rating will harm online content: IAMAI

NEW DELHI, INDIA: Plans like Airtel Zero will harm online content and allow telcos to regulate Web services, remarked Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) on the draft report by DoT panel on net neutrality.

IAMAI alleged that zero rating will allow large companies to act as gatekeepers of the Internet, and control which services Indians can access, and what must be prohibited.

It has reiterated that traffic management is a technical right with the telcos and it shouldn’t be misused by charging the users differentially for different data protocols.

These plans will ultimately harm Internet content and service providers by limiting competition, and, thereby limit consumer choice, the association opined.

Such plans will also allow the operators, if given control of which apps or services to push to consumers, to discriminate and privilege certain Web services over others, and throttle innovation, it stated

The association said that it will never support any proposal that violate net neutrality especially paid or unpaid prioritisation or other discriminatory practices.