{"id":176823,"date":"2015-12-24T07:38:50","date_gmt":"2015-12-24T07:38:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/4cd.e16.myftpupload.com\/?p=176823"},"modified":"2015-12-24T07:44:57","modified_gmt":"2015-12-24T07:44:57","slug":"india-puts-brakes-on-facebooks-free-basics-scheme","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2015\/12\/india-puts-brakes-on-facebooks-free-basics-scheme\/","title":{"rendered":"India puts brakes on Facebook’s Free Basics scheme"},"content":{"rendered":"
Facebook’s effort to provide Indians with free access to a limited number of internet services has run into trouble.<\/p>\n
India’s telecoms regulator has asked the mobile network that partnered with the US firm to put their Free Basics offer on hold.<\/p>\n
Data fees are relatively expensive in India, and the initiative aims to prevent this being a deterrent.<\/p>\n
But critics of the Free Basics service say it runs contrary to net neutrality principles.<\/p>\n
They suggest data providers should not favour some online services over others by offering cheaper or faster access.<\/p>\n
A spokesman for Reliance Communications – the mobile network that had supported the scheme – confirmed it would comply with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s demand.<\/p>\n
“As directed by TRAI, the commercial launch of Free Basics has been kept in abeyance, until they consider all details and convey a specific approval,” a spokesman told the BBC.<\/p>\n