Rajeev Chandrasekhar's official website - Member of Parliament

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
Ministry of Communication and Information Technology

RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO 1040

TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.03.2016
Legislation to regulate issues relating to net neutrality

 


1040. Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar 


Will the Minister of COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:-

(a) whether Government proposes to effect legislation to give the telecom regulator, TRAI, the powers to regulate on issues relating to net neutrality or directly legislate on other issues of net neutrality like fast lane, slow lane, throttling etc.; and

(b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

Answer
THE MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
(SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)



(a) & (b) TRAI has recently released its regulation “Prohibition of discriminatory tariffs for data services, Regulations, 2016” on 8th Feb, 2016 which, inter alia, prohibits any service provider from offering or charging discriminatory tariffs for data services on the basis of content. Government is committed to core principles of Net Neutrality through appropriate policy response, as various other related issues of Net Neutrality are within its policy domain.

Government policy on Net Neutrality shall be finalized after taking into account recommendations of committee constituted by Department of Telecommunications and recommendations of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and other inputs to the Government. TRAI recommendations on the issue are awaited, whereupon the Government will take a final view.

 

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