India blocks Facebook Free Basics Internet
February 8, 2016
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has blocked Facebook’s Free Basics Internet service as part of a ruling in favour of net neutrality.
The scheme offered free access to a limited number of websites. However, it was opposed by supporters of net neutrality who argued that data providers should not favour some online services over others.
The free content included various local news and weather forecasts, the BBC, Wikipedia and some health sites.
“No service provider shall offer or charge discriminatory tariffs for data services on the basis of content,” ruled TRAI.