Internet.org will finish internet the way we know it, hurt India’s growth • Hacker News Board

Re: Internet.org will finish internet the way we know it, hurt India’s growth

#11

Post by mattxxx » Sun, Mar 15, 2015, 7:23 AM UTC

This article is phrased very awkwardly.

It reads like giving away free access to certain sites, is the same as making premium internet access. Am I missing something? Facebook hate aside, this is a change meant to give something away. Right?

Re: Internet.org will finish internet the way we know it, hurt India’s growth

#12

Post by cookiecide » Sun, Mar 15, 2015, 7:24 AM UTC

dreamdu5t wrote: post #5

What's wrong with this? They're not preventing you from paying for Internet access, they're offering some access for free. People in India are free to start competing ISPs.

Basic telecommunications infrastructure in India is heavily regulated by a government that once actually proposed banning all VoIP services apart from the ones they offer at premium prices. Thanks to a high degree of corruption and bureaucracy, it is near impossible to enter the ISP game unless you have serious monetary or political clout. Simply starting a competing ISP is not really feasible.

Re: Internet.org will finish internet the way we know it, hurt India’s growth

#13

Post by curiously » Sun, Mar 15, 2015, 7:26 AM UTC

I don't get it, it is free, and worried about being charged to access it beyond the free version?

Re: Internet.org will finish internet the way we know it, hurt India’s growth

#14

Post by eklavya » Sun, Mar 15, 2015, 7:27 AM UTC

cookiecide wrote: post #12

dreamdu5t wrote: post #5

What's wrong with this? They're not preventing you from paying for Internet access, they're offering some access for free. People in India are free to start competing ISPs.

Basic telecommunications infrastructure in India is heavily regulated by a government that once actually proposed banning all VoIP services apart from the ones they offer at premium prices. Thanks to a high degree of corruption and bureaucracy, it is near impossible to enter the ISP game unless you have serious monetary or political clout. Simply starting a competing ISP is not really feasible.

Sure it is, Beam telecom (ACT now), You broadband, Spectranet (citycom now, although it is older).

If you are implying that serious investment is required to setup the infrastructure, you are correct. This is the nature of the telecom game.

Re: Internet.org will finish internet the way we know it, hurt India’s growth

#15

Post by random_coder » Sun, Mar 15, 2015, 7:28 AM UTC

I'm Indian and I'm deeply frustrated and disappointed with this. My fear is that other mobile networks like Airtel will pick up dumb ass half-baked ideas like this and start charging for data from other non approved sources and for high cost paid wireless Internet to become the norm. I know Reliance is way too greedy, but this really is a new low. While wireless data costs in other countries are coming down, here we see the opposite trend. Fucking disgusting.

Re: Internet.org will finish internet the way we know it, hurt India’s growth

#16

Post by snyp » Sun, Mar 15, 2015, 7:29 AM UTC

i think its great for people who don't have access to the internet especially poorer sections but they should've included better sites for learning expanding their knowlege etc.

Re: Internet.org will finish internet the way we know it, hurt India’s growth

#17

Post by Harimwakairi » Sun, Mar 15, 2015, 7:29 AM UTC

mattxxx wrote: post #11

This article is phrased very awkwardly. It reads like giving away free access to certain sites, is the same as making premium internet access. Am I missing something? Facebook hate aside, this is a change meant to give something away . Right?

Ask Netscape how they feel about Microsoft giving Internet Explorer away.

Re: Internet.org will finish internet the way we know it, hurt India’s growth

#18

Post by eklavya » Sun, Mar 15, 2015, 7:29 AM UTC

Maybe I misunderstood. But I think the alarm bells are pre-mature. You HAVE to pay for internet access, what this announcements says is that if you visit some websites you will not be charged. How is it any bad? The websites are paying the telecom company to bear the cost of the traffic. The customer, like always, is bearing the cost of traffic to internet.

Re: Internet.org will finish internet the way we know it, hurt India’s growth

#19

Post by cookiecide » Sun, Mar 15, 2015, 7:30 AM UTC

mattxxx wrote: post #11

This article is phrased very awkwardly. It reads like giving away free access to certain sites, is the same as making premium internet access. Am I missing something? Facebook hate aside, this is a change meant to give something away . Right?

Funneling people to a restricted number of websites by making them easier to access (and money matters for a large number of Indians, spending ~2.5 USD a month for 500MB 3G internet is considered a luxury) and then profiting off advertising on those websites definitely feels like it skews the balance in favour of these who run said 'approved' websites.

Re: Internet.org will finish internet the way we know it, hurt India’s growth

#20

Post by Tinyyy » Sun, Mar 15, 2015, 7:31 AM UTC

mattxxx wrote: post #11

This article is phrased very awkwardly. It reads like giving away free access to certain sites, is the same as making premium internet access. Am I missing something? Facebook hate aside, this is a change meant to give something away . Right?

Yes, it gives away free access of 38 sites. But by doing so, they also encourage more people to forgo purchasing complete internet plans and hence accessing all of the other millions of websites out there. This indirectly drives traffic to this 38 sites that they’ve picked through a very skewed and opaque process, and undermines the concept of net neutrality.