Telecom companies in India want tech firms to pay for network usage
Telecom companies in India want tech firms to pay for network usage
Telecom operators in India, the second largest wireless market, would like internet companies to compensate for using their networks, a recommendation Telecom operators in India are urging internet companies to compensate for using their networks, a recommendation they've made to the local regulator...
cross-posted from !technology@lemmy.ml
- Indian telecom operators, including Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone-Idea, have recommended that internet companies contribute to telecom network costs.
- They propose that these contributions should be based on factors like traffic consumption, turnover, and the number of users.
- The telecom operators argue that this would create a level playing field and help boost their margins in a market with low average revenue per user.
- Critics, however, raise concerns about potential violations of net neutrality and the possibility of shifting costs to consumers if internet companies are forced to cover network expenses.
This is called double dipping. Every end point pays for their usage already.
They tried this in the US in the 90s. It was absurd then as it is now. The end users and tech companies already pay for that usage with the monthly fees everyone pays ISP's. This is the telecom companies trying to double dip.
If they can do this, can't those companies also charge them for the number of users that are using their services?
Are they wanting a tax, or just to be able to collude to put up prices for specific customers?
It’s like you pay them to deliver a letter, and when they get to the destination they expect the recipient to pay them again for delivering it.
They want Facebook and Google to have a cell network charge every time a cell network user requests those pages.
It’s an insanely greedy move
Corporations trying to take as much money as possible.
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Telecom operators in India are urging internet companies to compensate for using their networks, a recommendation they’ve made to the local regulatory body, echoing a viewpoint that is gaining some momentum in other parts of the world.
“We suggest that TRAI [India’s telecom regulator] should recommend for OTT providers contributing in the network development and building a backbone for the country.
In this effort, the Other OTT service providers should also be required to pay their fair share,” said the unit of Reliance, which is run by Asia’s richest man Mukesh Ambani.
Airtel, has however, proposed that only the largest users of the internet infrastructure should bear the costs of network usage, allowing smaller startups to thrive unhindered.
Nearly ten years ago, Pahwa was instrumental in raising awareness about potential violations of net neutrality when Meta tried to introduce Free Basics in the country.
“A mandatory / mandated collaborative framework between OTT service providers and licensed TSPs may lead to the creation of a system where TSPs can demand compensation from OTT service providers in the form of revenue sharing or network usage fees,” said Asia Internet Coalition, an industry association group that represents some of the biggest tech companies including Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Meta and Netflix.
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