The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released recommendations on ‘traffic management practices and multi stakeholder body for net neutrality’.
Earlier in January 2020, TRAI had issued a consultation paper on the subject inviting comments and counter comments on key aspects of the paper.
As part of its recommendations, TRAI has suggested that a multi-stakeholder body should be set up under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to ensure adherence to rules under the regime.
“The role of the multi-stakeholder body shall be to provide advice and support the DoT in monitoring and enforcement of net neutrality principles,” TRAI noted.
The regulator also recommended that DoT may define traffic management practices with the help of the multi-stakeholder panel. “As per the framework suggested by stakeholders, DoT may maintain and publish a refined list of TMPs adopted by all TSPs having those TMPs that are found reasonable after the process of review,” said TRAI.
Further, TRAI has also suggested that the multi-stakeholder body should comprise of all telecom and internet service providers and other stakeholders such as content providers, researchers, academic and technical community, civil society organisations, consumers and the government.
While defining the role of the panel, TRAI noted that it will investigate complaints of net neutrality violation received from its members or common people, or related references made to it by the DoT or TRAI. Also, it will submit report to the DoT, and a copy to TRAI, based on monitoring of internet services, investigations of incidents, and review of reports submitted by its members.
Moreover, the panel will recommend suitable technical standards and methodologies on matters related to best practices to be adopted for TMPs.
Meanwhile, internet access providers will submit, to both DoT and the panel, the list of practices that they use for managing their networks.
