Save The Internet, Or say Goodbye to it

TZM India

unread,

Apr 11, 2015, 9:35:18 AM4/11/15

to news-tz...@googlegroups.com

Hi there

Telecom companies like Airtel, with permission from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), wish to control the internet in a way never before seen in India. They wish to put into place something known as Differential Pricing, which means that consumers of the internet would have to pay different charges for using different apps and websites rather than paying for just one internet pack. An example could be Rs.200 for Whatsapp, Rs.100 for Google, Rs.100 for Facebook, Rs.50 for Skype and so on. It would not be surprising to see that later they might want to control the speeds at which different websites load as well, favoring some of them over the rest.

WHAT IS NET NEUTRALITY?

Net neutrality is the principle that Internet service providers and governments should treat all data on the Internet equally, not discriminating or charging differentially by user, content, site, platform, application, type of attached equipment, or mode of communication.

In order to understand what net neutrality is and how this move by the telcos and TRAI can affect people like you directly, watch these two short videos:

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

This is important because first of all, it was the internet that made movements like TZM possible and it is solely that which can help propagate it. Moreover, with TZM projects like Global Redesign Institute and Collaborative Design System (both of which need a network like the present internet to be built) in development stages at the moment that can help us realize an NLRBE sooner, it is the need of the hour to fight for net neutrality. And secondly, nobody can deny the fact that the internet has been a major building block of the current world and if it is at stake, development of any kind can be constrained to very low levels. Third, we all use the internet and it has great utility as a source of information that is accessible at next to zero marginal costs.

WHAT CAN I DO TO SAVE THE INTERNET?

TRAI had come out with a consultation paper that requires citizens like us to answer 20 questions regarding net neutrality, based on which it will take the decision. Fortunately, you do not need to type your answers manually. Some generous people put their heads together in order to prepare a draft that is ready to be sent to TRAI by anyone. You can also edit the answers if you wish. All you have to do is the following:

1. Visit www.savetheinternet.in

2. Click on 'Send Your Response'.

3. Select your mail client (Gmail, Yahoo, etc)

4. Copy and paste the body of the mail. Edit it if you wish.

5. Send the mail to TRAI.

6. Sign this petition: http://chn.ge/1JzrKRH

7. Share this information via social media.

The deadline set by TRAI for accepting answers is 24th April 2015 so kindly do so asap.

A free and open internet is our right. Please save it. Not for us, but for yourself and the generations to come. Complete this task before it is too late.

Best

Shiv Hastawala

(TZM India)

TZM India

unread,

Dec 28, 2015, 8:28:30 PM12/28/15

to news-tz...@googlegroups.com

Hi there!

Remember the battle we were fighting for a free and open internet? Well, your help is needed yet again. Facebook has been fooling people in India by luring them to support their 'Free Basics' campaign, which is just another name for internet.org, a website by Facebook that violates net neutrality. Although the new consultation paper by TRAI sensible, they claim that around 5 lakh emails have already been received by them supporting Free Basics due to the dirty game played by Facebook. Please watch this new video by AIB in order to understand what is happening:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAQWsTFF0BM

WHAT CAN I DO?

1. Go to www.savetheinternet.in

2. Send your response to TRAI in just a single step from there.

3. Read and edit the draft if you wish to.

4. Sign this petition regarding net neutrality http://chn.ge/1JzrKRH

5. Spread this information via social media.

The deadline for sending your replies to TRAI is 30th December 2015 so kindly hurry up. We would like to remind you of the fact that movements like TZM have been possible only because of the free (as in freedom) and open internet that we know of today, so it is our responsibility to protect it.

Best

Shiv Hastawala

(TZM India)