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India bans discriminatory pricing based on source/destination/app/content

blog.savetheinternet.in

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Re: India bans discriminatory pricing based on source/destination/app/content

#21

Post by icebraining »

atroyn wrote: post #12
scorpion032 wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If their motive were genuinely connectivity, as they advertised it, they can still do it. #EqualRating is allowed, so are charitable initiatives such as Free Data to everyone. But what do they really want? The next billion internet users hooked onto their platform. That's what they paid Whatsapp a whooping $19B for. I can't presume to know for sure. We'll both see what will they do of their Freebasics program now.

But won't they be just as hooked as in markets where Facebook has already penetrated? Seems like the smart play is just getting people on-line, and getting them onto Facebook the same way they always have. Why wouldn't that work in India?

Facebook in others markets isn't paying for the Internet connections of their clients.

Re: India bans discriminatory pricing based on source/destination/app/content

#22

Post by tajen »

msh wrote: post #14
fiatjaf wrote: post #8

Take that, free market!

Wireless telecom will never be a free marked as long as the is a limited amount of spectrum auctioned off.

Not the right argument. All resources are limited, and the free market deals better with those other resources.

Anyway I'm happy that India resisted this lobby. We should take note for our own system.

Re: India bans discriminatory pricing based on source/destination/app/content

#23

Post by mbrutsch »

icebraining wrote: post #19
madaxe_again wrote: post #16

So - I wonder how Facebook will respond to their market penetration and lock-in effort being declared illegal, as granting access to one set of sites for free and not allowing access to others surely falls under this legislation. I expect that they'll continue business as usual, and will drag out the battle until they have a captive and indoctrinated audience (after all, they control the content, so you can be sure f…

they control the content, so you can be sure folks won't be reading about this Unless they just go to https://www.facebook.com/netneutralityin/

You are undermining the popular narrative with your facts and what-not.

Re: India bans discriminatory pricing based on source/destination/app/content

#24

Post by retube »

As I understand it this effectively this stops "richer" people being charged more, which is being universally applauded as a good thing.

But isn't this contrary to the whole inequality issue? Shouldn't richer people be charged more? Richer people are being charged more for state infrastructure via higher taxes - which is also generally applauded as a good thing amongst the young/liberal demographic (in fact it doesn't go far enough many would argue).

So why is it bad for companies to charge more to certain demographics? If people are prepared to pay why's that wrong? Isn't value pricing actually intrinsically "fair" as richer customers are effectively subsiding poorer customers?

Re: India bans discriminatory pricing based on source/destination/app/content

#25

Post by rtdp »

retube wrote: post #24

As I understand it this effectively this stops "richer" people being charged more, which is being universally applauded as a good thing. But isn't this contrary to the whole inequality issue? Shouldn't richer people be charged more? Richer people are being charged more for state infrastructure via higher taxes - which is also generally applauded as a good thing amongst the young/liberal demographic (in fact it doesn'…

This was not about charging differently based on how much people have.

It was about charging differently based on WHAT you are using.

So, if I have much money, I can have my service freely for everyone, while this other startup, unless pays to internet providers, will be available over the paid internet.

Re: India bans discriminatory pricing based on source/destination/app/content

#26

Post by toyg »

retube wrote: post #24

As I understand it this effectively this stops "richer" people being charged more, which is being universally applauded as a good thing. But isn't this contrary to the whole inequality issue? Shouldn't richer people be charged more? Richer people are being charged more for state infrastructure via higher taxes - which is also generally applauded as a good thing amongst the young/liberal demographic (in fact it doesn'…

The internet is not "a product", it is an essential utility. Rich people pay more than poor people for roads, but they get the same access to them as poor people. This is what the internet should be like.

Historically, price differentiation for network infrastructure has been due to costs, not artificial market segmentation; it's important this continues to be the case for the majority of net citizens. As we've seen over and over again, removing cost barriers for utility infrastructure is a tremendous spark for all sorts of economic activity.

Re: India bans discriminatory pricing based on source/destination/app/content

#27

Post by retube »

rtdp wrote: post #25
retube wrote: post #24

As I understand it this effectively this stops "richer" people being charged more, which is being universally applauded as a good thing. But isn't this contrary to the whole inequality issue? Shouldn't richer people be charged more? Richer people are being charged more for state infrastructure via higher taxes - which is also generally applauded as a good thing amongst the young/liberal demographic (in fact it doesn'…

This was not about charging differently based on how much people have. It was about charging differently based on WHAT you are using. So, if I have much money, I can have my service freely for everyone, while this other startup, unless pays to internet providers, will be available over the paid internet.

> It was about charging differently based on WHAT you are using.

Sure - but what you use, and from where, is highly correlated with wealth

Re: India bans discriminatory pricing based on source/destination/app/content

#28

Post by crdoconnor »

retube wrote: post #24

As I understand it this effectively this stops "richer" people being charged more, which is being universally applauded as a good thing. But isn't this contrary to the whole inequality issue? Shouldn't richer people be charged more? Richer people are being charged more for state infrastructure via higher taxes - which is also generally applauded as a good thing amongst the young/liberal demographic (in fact it doesn'…

>As I understand it this effectively this stops "richer" people being charged more

Price sensitivity != how rich you are

Re: India bans discriminatory pricing based on source/destination/app/content

#29

Post by hargup »

retube wrote: post #24

As I understand it this effectively this stops "richer" people being charged more, which is being universally applauded as a good thing. But isn't this contrary to the whole inequality issue? Shouldn't richer people be charged more? Richer people are being charged more for state infrastructure via higher taxes - which is also generally applauded as a good thing amongst the young/liberal demographic (in fact it doesn'…

On the issue TRAI said "In India, given that a majority of the population are yet to be connected to the internet, allowing service providers to define the nature of access would be equivalent of letting TSPs shape the users' internet experience. This can prove to be risky in the medium to long term as the knowledge and outlook of those users would be shaped only by the information made available through those select offerings."

The full explanation by TRAI is definitely worth reading, it talks about all the issues encompassing differential pricing, i.e., market distortion, information asymmetry, the natural of Internet and the special case of India. http://trai.gov.in/WriteReadData/WhatsNew/Documents/Regulati...

Re: India bans discriminatory pricing based on source/destination/app/content

#30

Post by cmadan »

dingo_bat wrote: post #20
cmadan wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Its a step in the right direction. TRAI was only deciding on differential pricing not slow/fast lanes and currently no ISPs are implementing slow/fast lanes whereas differential pricing (i.e. free plans for Facebook, Whatsapp, their own shitty apps etc) were all over.

>no ISPs are implementing slow/fast lanes How do we know that? And even if they aren't, they will start doing it. This was a great chance to disallow all of that crap but instead TRAI has been tempted to regulate voice apps, a task that they are simply incapable of performing effectively anyway.

The new regulations by TRAI does not mention anything about regulation of voice apps (or about slow/fast lanes).

I think you have misinterpreted the comment by SaveTheInternet.in. What they're saying is that while differential pricing has been dealt with in accordance with NN principles, there are two more battles which are going to be fought i.e. i. Defeating the proposal to regulate voice apps ii. Ensuring that no slow/fast lanes are there on the Internet.

Its a "yes, we won a major battle but the war is not over yet" caution. Not an indictment on what TRAI is going to do for voice apps & slow/fast lanes.

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