Subject: Net Neutrality
From: Micah Smith
Date: 29-Mar-15 11:47 PM
To: advqos@trai.gov.in

As you have probably deduced I am not from India but since you have asked for opinions on Net Neutrality I've decided to pitch in my two cents.

The Internet is unique among communication mediums because it allows for almost any for of information to be transferred over a global network. This allows the internet to supply everything from videos to music to phone conversations and bank transactions. This free-form nature has allowed the internet to foster a community of rapid innovation and advancement which has created many economic opportunities for people all around the world.

The providers of internet service have benefited greatly from this innovation as their service would be worthless without the efforts of the content creators who work tirelessly to bring new services and conveniences to people from all around the world. This is not enough for them however and they now desire to have control over all the data that passes through their lines to oversee as they see fit.

This course of action serves no one except for those Internet Service Providers who you would install as the troll under the bridge to extort all those who would attempt to make use of the service that they already pay for. This stifles innovation as it allows an internet service provider to smother all of its competitors in their infancy by throttling their communications with their customers. This is bad not just for the consumer but also for India as a whole as any Indian companies will be forced to relocate outside of India if they cannot pay off their Internet Service Provider. This also effectively stops India from using foreign services without the consent of the Indian Internet Service Providers hurting the Indian people even more.

Control over internet data transmission bandwidth is too important to be given over to a company whose only loyalty is to its own revenue streams.