SaveTheInternet has rejected the contents of a letter submitted earlier by the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), asking not to be misled on net neutrality and fair share pricing.
The statement follows a letter by COAI to TRAI cautioning against misinformation on net neutrality, added that it had no intent to seek fair share from start-ups. However, in a letter to TRAI in September 2023, the founders of around 128 startups stated that over-regulation of over-the-top (OTT) companies might have discriminatory consequences.
SaveTheInternet defended the letter’s content, saying it supported principles of net neutrality, showed solidarity for a free, open, and non-discriminatory internet, and cautioned against threats to innovation for the startup ecosystem.
Furthermore, it stated that network usage fees, as well as any interventions that may result in incentives to treat traffic sources differently, pass costs down to internet users, or deliver content/charge internet users differently, even if referred to as fair share, will undermine the TRAI’s and the government of India’s globally recognised regulatory approach.
