I just switched to a $50 ($40 for the third and subsequent lines) unlimited and supposedly uncapped mobile data plan. As long as such plans area available at reasonable prices, I don't think zero-rating some services on cheaper plans is very evil. As other commenters have pointed out, there are plans that restrict Web access, but that's not "zero rating." That's a walled garden.
Ask HN: What do you guys think of zero rating?
21–30 of 67 posts
Re: Ask HN: What do you guys think of zero rating?
#22> We need to force the tech majors to take a stand against this. Why exactly? The crux of this argument seems to be "having more money makes you better able to compete" This falls out of free market capitalism. Its not going to go away without regulation, and it seems like doing so will disadvantage swathes of poor people for questionable benefits. I do see the argument, but I think its quite far out of touch with re…
[deleted]
Re: Ask HN: What do you guys think of zero rating?
#23I am not sure why businesses paying the data charges of their customers is a violation of net neutrality? It might be anti-competitive and an abuse of market power, but unless the traffic was prioritized over other traffic how is this a violation of net neutrality?
One thing to be noted is, Airtel has always been pioneer of skewed business tactics to milk as much profit they can. I can't believe that even in this age, I can't have more than 1Mbps speed beyond their incredibly low FUP (Fair Usage policy).
I have seen charges of 2G data double in course of last two years or so. The picture, if Airtel goes through it, is very grim. They would force every major corporation to pay to allow access to their website / app for 'free' and the normal Internet packs would become very expensive to afford. I am sure most telcos would follow the same suit, once they get a nod.
Re: Ask HN: What do you guys think of zero rating?
#24There are two points here. 1. Zero rating is good for customers. If Flipkart offers zero rating app, then other competitors like Amazon, Ebay, Snapdeal etc. too are forced to improve their service over Flipkart, or provide Zero Rating for them also. (But from a Business perspective, this can be bad). 2. Net Neutrality is a different thing. But here the telecom operators are confusing people with NN and ZR, tricking t…
1. Zero rating is good for customers.
This is probably more complicated. While large companies will have to follow suit and probably buy-in into the ZR deal of large telcos, startups and small buisnesess will essentially be cut off from (potential) customers.
For a small company, it will become a huge challenge to enter such markets - both logistically and financially, so in the end there will be no more Internet for the customers but only FacebookGoogleEbayNet...
Re: Ask HN: What do you guys think of zero rating?
#25> If Airtel's experiment succeeds I think that this could be replicated across the world and destroy the very character of the internet.
No - that is unlikely in the extreme. The UK has had zero-rated data and text messages for over 5 years and it has had no impact at all.
Re: Ask HN: What do you guys think of zero rating?
#26Does anyone know how Facebook 0 worked? That sounds like it was pretty much the same thing:
https://www.facebook.com/notes/facebook/fast-and-free-facebo...
Re: Ask HN: What do you guys think of zero rating?
#27Wouldn't banning zero rating impact poor people the most? It's probably why this is even an issue in the first place. In richer countries, companies simply expect their customers to have a decent connection.
Zero rating is a thing in richer countries, too; in the US, for example, Sprint has made deals to zero-rate selected social media services; T-Mobile has made deals to zero-rate certain streaming audio services.
And, as in India, the advocates of the interests of the wealthy and corporations in the US like to promote zero rating as a thing that is good for the poor, with AEI promoting it as a tool to "narrow the digital divide". [0]
[0] http://www.techpolicydaily.com/internet/zero-rating-narrowin...
Re: Ask HN: What do you guys think of zero rating?
#28Earlier quoted context omitted.
If you pay nothing for a service, then you are the product. Facebook and Google are already providing enormous value for free, if you have an internet connection. Now they want to provide it for free even if you don't pay for your internet connection. This arrangement changes nothing about the consumer relationship.
Except that you no longer have access to information that they don't want you to see. For example, they won't be able to see you explaining that for Facebook and Google, users are the products.
Doesn't the same happen in TV, radio, newspapers, etc? I understand why the Internet is different (and better, imho), but that doesn't mean we should ban other mediums. Just don't call this service Internet access.
Re: Ask HN: What do you guys think of zero rating?
#29Does anyone know how Facebook 0 worked? That sounds like it was pretty much the same thing: https://www.facebook.com/notes/facebook/fast-and-free-facebo...
Facebook 0, aka internet.org still exists and is growing in many developing countries.
Basically Facebook goes into local carriers and makes an agreement to the effect that users can reach 0.facebook.com for free on their network. They've now started adding other sites as well to that 'free tier'.
I imagine Facebook is paying something to the carriers for this, though at the very start it may just be seen as a competitive advantage by the carrier so perhaps not.
I actually find this practice super disturbing and find the naming of it as 'internet.org' even more so. The Internet is great because of the very opposite of this type system.
Say in an alternate reality Friendster did this a decade ago, would Facebook even exist if people had to pay to access it? Is that a state of the world we are comfortable with?
I very much understand the arguments towards the utility of the internet (even Facebook) to the poor and marginalized, but this isn't the right way to do it.
Re: Ask HN: What do you guys think of zero rating?
#30Okay, this has nothing to do with supporting the poor as the comments here are suggesting, and as Airtel is trying to paint it. Poor can avail month-long 1GB data at $3 in India. All major providers have a plan that makes Facebook, Whatzapp, Google, Twitter, Instagram free for $0.5 a month. We already have plans for the poor, this is not it. This plan is the following - if you take Airtel Zero, you cannot access any…
One of the participants will sooner or later set up a proxy.