On February 8,
2016, India’s Telecom Regulatory Authority banned zero-rated services, such as Facebook’s
“Free Basics” program, because they violate the concept of network
neutrality by “shap[ing] the users’ Internet experience.” Free Basics offers access
to a text-only version of Facebook and other news and health services in three
dozen countries around the world.
In the United
States, the legality of zero-rated services has been a topic of debate,
especially since the FCC adopted its Open
Internet Order in February 2015. FSF scholars have argued that zero-rated services
offer more choices to consumers and can be particularly attractive to
low-income consumers and/or individuals who would not have Internet access
otherwise.
For more on how
zero-rated services can benefit consumers, see Daniel Lyon’s Perspectives from FSF Scholars entitled “Usage-Based
Pricing, Zero-Rating, and the Future of Broadband Innovation,” Randolph May’s
October
2015 blog, and my March
2015 blog.
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