<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(51,51,51)">Thank you All, for responding to this thread and for the valuable pointers to the developments in other countries. </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(51,51,51)"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style><font color="#333333" face="verdana, sans-serif"><a href="http://www.trai.gov.in/WriteReadData/WhatsNew/Documents/OTT-CP-27032015.pdf">http://www.trai.gov.in/WriteReadData/WhatsNew/Documents/OTT-CP-27032015.pdf</a></font><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(51,51,51)"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(51,51,51)">The document from the TELECOM Regulatory Authority of India, starts with the description "The public internet ... added ability to carry
the entire gamut of services ... <u>to a
consumer of telecom services</u> " Beginning with this description of an Internet for the Telecom Consumer, the document is Telecom-centric. The document, in its "Issues for Consultation" on Page 113 - 116 talks about a regulatory framework for OTT services ( I understand this as a proposal for a Telecom-like regulatory framework, for the Internet, beginning with regulation of OTT services), and talks about a "licensing regime". Then it wants comments on OTT revenue to Telecom Service Providers; then about Security aspects such as OTT logs and records; discrimination of services; then about encouraging India-specific OTT services; again about licencing; then about regulation of subscription charges. </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(51,51,51)"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(51,51,51)">Pushing for an Inquiry or supporting legislation, would actually lead to unpleasant outcomes, especially if initiated from within the Telecom regulatory framework. The ideas expressed in the call for comments already indicate that there is an inclination to consider not only regulation, but also licensing. Wrong ideas. Licensing in India worked to preempt competition. In a licensing framework it has always been expensive for entrepreneurs to get started. </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(51,51,51)"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(51,51,51)">If the OTT service providers have become dominant, and if there are traces of unfairness in any of their practices, especially in the context of a Developing Country with its own administrative nuances, the issues would be harmlessly addressed by Consumer / multi-stakeholder forums rather than by regulation and licensing. </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(51,51,51)"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(51,51,51)">@ Roland. If you look closer, you will find that there are traces of a move towards a new form of censorship, and non-nuetral discrimination.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(51,51,51)"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(51,51,51)">@ Jozef For argument's sake, if a corporation such as Google "invests" to cultivate relationships, other companies have been doing it since 1865. Google or anyone, would only have to indulge more in such practices if there is a regulatory framework ! </div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(51,51,51)"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(51,51,51)"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(51,51,51)">Sivasubramanian M</div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br clear="all"><div><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/sivasubramanian.muthusamy" target="_blank">Sivasubramanian M</a></div></div></div>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Mar 30, 2015 at 9:50 PM, Roland Perry <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:roland@internetpolicyagency.com" target="_blank">roland@internetpolicyagency.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">In message <<a href="mailto:CAHyAo0G5atuvGZjicaxd_sHeqkK0YqvyOSr8q2bOmdnXNZAMGg@mail.gmail.com" target="_blank">CAHyAo0G5atuvGZjicaxd_<u></u>sHeqkK0YqvyOSr8q2bOmdnXNZAMGg@<u></u>mail.gmail.com</a>>, at 14:01:59 on Sun, 29 Mar 2015, Sivasubramanian M <<a href="mailto:isolatedn@gmail.com" target="_blank">isolatedn@gmail.com</a>> writes<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
Hello,<br>
<br>
<a href="http://indianexpress.com/article/technology/social/trai-seeks-to-regulat" target="_blank">http://indianexpress.com/<u></u>article/technology/social/<u></u>trai-seeks-to-regulat</a><span class=""><br>
e-ott-players-like-skype-<u></u>viber-whatsapp-and-google-<u></u>talk/<br>
<br>
On similar proposals in other countries, how did the Internet user respond<br>
</span></blockquote>
<br>
For a moment there I thought you were highlighting a new form of censorship, but the article appears to be about Net Neutrality - in the sense that carriers should not discriminate between traffic from one "OTT" or another, or between OTTs and their own legacy services, based on ransom payments.<span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888"><br>
-- <br>
Roland Perry<br>
<br>
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