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

Re:Internet.org will finish internet the way we know it, hur... by random_coder on Sunday March 15, 2015 @03:28AM (#9205706)

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.

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Re:Internet.org will finish internet the way we know it, hur... by _jgdh on Sunday March 15, 2015 @03:32AM (#9205715)

As a fellow Indian, I'd find that frustrating too.

Think of the alternative - suppose the government or judiciary finds this practice illegal and outlaws it. Imagine how unlikely this is and even if it does happen, how much bad press would be generated about "job-killing License Raj" etc.

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Re:Internet.org will finish internet the way we know it, hur... by kamaal on Sunday March 15, 2015 @12:09PM (#9206963)

>>how much bad press would be generated about "job-killing License Raj" etc.

I'm amazed many Indians still fall for this. The current day telecommunications companies came into being like knights in shining armor, to fight the decades of rot and stagnation in the ecosystem due to BSNL in the early 2000's.

Now their whole business is being disrupted in the same way, they disrupted BSNL's business. Price innovation, innovation in customer service and making services accessible to every one at affordable prices. Now when they are being given a dose of their own medicine, they want the government to come in and have regulations to save them.

Funny how capitalism works when you are at the receiving end.

If these people aren't stopped now they will let things stagnate and rot for the next half century. We all know how well that worked out.

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Re:Internet.org will finish internet the way we know it, hur... by cookiecide on Sunday March 15, 2015 @03:39AM (#9205729)

Regardless of the press, a level playing field would in fact be a boon for upcoming businesses. Bad press is inevitable - look at the recent uproar in the US over net neutrality. There are still some people who want to make it look like the FCC is somehow restricting private enterprise which is A Bad Thing.

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Re:Internet.org will finish internet the way we know it, hur... by junktest on Sunday March 15, 2015 @01:31PM (#9207259)

Probably start a petition/campaign and collaborate with Centre for Internet and Society in India http://cis-india.org/internet-governance for raising the issue

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Re:Internet.org will finish internet the way we know it, hur... by belorn on Sunday March 15, 2015 @07:22AM (#9206113)

"start charging for data"? Wait, does that mean they do not charge for data at this moment in time?

Are ISP government supported and thus free of charge to any citizen?

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Re:Internet.org will finish internet the way we know it, hur... by rohan1024 on Sunday March 15, 2015 @07:29AM (#9206130)

No they are charging for data. I think belorn wanted to say something like airtel will charge pay per site violating net neutrality.

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Re:Internet.org will finish internet the way we know it, hur... by ishadua on Sunday March 15, 2015 @09:25AM (#9206395)

I think that belorn is trying to imply 'airtel's charging of VOIP calls' here

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