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Net neutrality: Facebook shuts Free Basics programme in India

[email protected] (Agencies)
February 11, 2016

New Delhi, Feb 11: In a boost to net neutrality, Facebook has decided to shut down its controversial 'Free Basics' programme in India, following telecom regulator Trai's move to bar operators from charging different rates for Internet access based on content.free

Facebook had met with severe criticism for its programme, which aimed at providing basic Internet access to people in partnership with telecom operators.

Critics saw this as violation of the principle of net neutrality that states that entire Internet should be available to everyone on equal terms as Free Basics allowed access to selected websites.

"Free Basics is no longer available to people in India," a Facebook spokesperson said in an emailed response. The service was available in India with Reliance Communications. In December, RCom put the service on hold following a Telecom Regulator Authority of India's directive to that effect.

Ruling in favour of net neutrality, Trai has barred all telecom operators from offering discriminatory tariffs for data services on the basis of content, impying that operators will have to charge the same price for data used, irrespective of website or app accessed by the consumer.

This puts an end to Facebook's Free Basics and Airtel's zero rating plans in India. Yesterday, Facebook board member Marc Andreessen had set off another controversy by terming Trai's decision as an 'anti-colonialist' idea and said the country would have been better off if it had remained under British rule.

Facebook founder and head Mark Zuckerberg distanced himself from the comments saying the remarks were "deeply upsetting" and did not represent the company's thinking.

"India has been personally important to me and Facebook. Early on in my thinking about our mission, I traveled to India and was inspired by the humanity, spirit and values of the people," he wrote in a post on the social networking site.

"It solidified my understanding that when all people have the power to share their experiences, the entire world will make progress," he added. Andreessen deleted the tweet and apologised through a series of tweets yesterday.

"Last night on Twitter, I made an ill-informed and ill-advised comment about Indian politics and economics. To be clear, I am 100 per cent opposed to colonialism, and 100 per cent in favor of independence and freedom, in any country, including India," he said later in a series of tweets.

Zuckerberg has come out in defence of the programme time and again, saying it did not block or throttle other services and is not in conflict with net neutrality. Launched in 2014, Facebook is running the Internet.org programme across over 17 countries providing basic Internet access to over one billion people.

Following allegations of violation of net neutrality, Facebook rebranded the programme as 'Free Basics'. It had said the rebranding will help Facebook distinguish the free basic Internet offering from the large number of activities the US-based company is pursuing to help get new users online across the globe. Recently, it ran a big media campaign in support of the programme.

Comments

VOX POPULI
 - 
Saturday, 13 Feb 2016

KUDO'S & HATS OFF TO TRAI. ATLAST ATLEAST YOU COULD SMELL & UNDERSTAND THE HIDDEN AGENDA OF THESE ZIONIST MASTERMINDS.FACE BOOK & FREE BASICS = FB (READ BETWEEN THE LINES) BOTH ARE SAME AND AGENDA IS CLEARLY HIDDEN. FB GUY IS USING OUR INDIAN CROOKED CORPORATES AS HIS AGENTS TO SPREAD HIS HIDDEN AGENDA AND FOOL THE MASSES OF INDIA IN THE NAME OF NET NEUTRALITY. AS TRUE INDIANS LET US STAND UNITED & HAVE THE COURAGE OF QUESTIONING THE SO CALLED SHAMELESS & USELESS CREATURE \ZUCKERBERG' & HIS AGENT., SO CALLED 'MARC ANDREESSEN'., HOW DARE THEY HAVE THE RIGHT & COURAGE TO INSULT GOVT OF INDIA., ITS TRAI POLICIES & FOOL THE MASSES OF INDIA. MY DEAR FELLOW INDIANS WHATEVER THE POLITICAL DIFFERENCES MAY BE, END OF THE DAY WE ARE ALL ONE PEACE LOVING & PRESTIGIOUS CITIZENS OF INDIA. UNITED WE STAND ., BUT DIVIDED WE FALL. LONG LIVE INDIA & INDIANS. JAI HO."

S.M. Nawaz Kuk…
 - 
Thursday, 11 Feb 2016

Good Dicision taken by TRAI

IBRAHIM.HUSSAIN
 - 
Thursday, 11 Feb 2016

Modi spread red carpet to Zackerberg, hugged tightly. Zackerberg was knocked down by TRAI for his hidden bad intensions and thoughts.

TRAI done good job roping noses of telecom operators of India taught good lesson to them.

Thanks to TRAI

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News Network
March 6,2020

Bengaluru, Mar 6: PVR Cinemas on Friday launched its five-screen multiplex in here, augmenting its presence in Karnataka across 15 properties to 103 screens and to 46 properties and 286 screens in southern India.

With this opening, PVR consolidates its growth momentum in the current financial year 2019-20, so far opening 83 screens in the year and bringing its portfolio to 841 screens at 176 properties in 71 cities.

"We feel proud to cross the 100 screens milestone in the state of Karnataka at the very beginning of the year," said Joint Managing Director Sanjeev Kumar Bijli.

"Southern India has a strong market with significant growth potential. In Bengaluru, we have introduced some of our best formats and offerings owing to the nature of preferences by our customers," he said in a statement.

Pramod Arora, Chief Growth and Strategy Officer at PVR Ltd, said the company will continue to enhance the consumer experience through innovation and set new benchmarks in the Indian multiplex industry.

PVR is the largest and the most premium film exhibition company in India, serving over 100 million patrons annually. 

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coastaldigest.com news network
May 20,2020

Mangaluru/Udupi, May 20: The twin districts of coastal Karnataka today reported seven new coronavirus cases. Six cases were reported from Udupi district and one from Dakshina Kannada.

All the six new coronavirus patients in Udupi have been admitted to Dr TMA Pai Covid hospital.

With the new case, 22 confirmed cases of coronavirus have been reported so far in the district, including a one death. Three have recovered, and 18 are active.

55th case in Mangaluru

The new coronavirus patient in Dakshina Kannada is a 40-year-old woman from Neermarga near Mangaluru.

With this, the total number of cases in Dakshina Kannada has risen to 55 out of which 33 are currently active.

The woman had travelled from Rajajinagar in Bengaluru along with her son to Mangaluru on May 10.

Sources said that she was residing in two houses at Kudupu and Kuttikala.

She was suffering from Asthma and respiratory problems. She was admitted to Wenlock COVID hospital on May 17.

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News Network
May 1,2020

Bengaluru, May 1: The Karnataka government on Friday issued a show cause notice to an IAS officer over his recent tweet about coronavirus-cured Tablighi Jamaat members donating plasma for treatment of other patients.

The officer, Mohammad Mohsin, was in the news last year after the Election Commission suspended him for trying to inspect Prime Minister Narendra Modi's helicopter during his visit to Odisha in April. He was deployed as a poll observer.

"More than 300 Tablighi Heroes are donating their plasma to serve the country in New Delhi only. What about? #Godi Media? They will not show the works of humanity done by these heroes," Mohsin said in a tweet on April 27.

A 1996 batch IAS officer from Karnataka cadre hailing from Bihar, Mohsin is currently serving as a secretary in the Backward Class Welfare Department.

The state government said the show cause notice has been issued to the officer in connection with his tweet.

"The adverse coverage this tweet has got in the media has been taken note of seriously by the government, given the serious nature of COVID-19 and the sensitivities involved," the notice, which was accessed by PTI, stated.

The government has sought a written explanation from the officer within five days for violating the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968.

It warned of action against Mohsin as per the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969 if he fails to submit his reply before the deadline.

"The Karnataka government has made it clear that it would not hesitate to act even against powerful functionaries if their actions are damaging to the harmony in the state at a time when all are united in fighting COVID-19," a senior state bureaucrat said.

The Tablighi Jamaat, an Islamic missionary group, shot into the limelight early this year after thousands of its members who attended a congregation in south Delhi's Nizamuddin in March tested positive for coronavirus.

After attending the event, the group's members travelled to various parts of the country, with many of them carrying the virus.

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