Respected Sir/Madam,

You have been the most important foundation of strength for the purveyance of technology and wireless communications in our country. However, it seems like the greed of our wireless telecommunications providers is getting on to the best of us.

While you work hard to ensure fair and transparent usage of bandwidth, these Internet and Wireless operators create their own standards that is imposed upon a customer. It turns out that these standards created by the lobby groups of these providers is becoming the defacto standard of operations against the actual laws and guidelines provided by the TRAI.

I am writing this email to you to bring to your kind attention, (as you may most certainly be already well aware), of the recent issue with wireless providers trying to charge extra for applications that allow Internet calling, messaging, entertainment and other applications over the internet - WhatsApp, Skype, Facebook, YouTube and so on. 

Now, wireless providers are introducing unacceptable elements such as calling internet services as OTT (Over the Top) and introducing different charges when customers use different applications that need to utilize the internet to function. This is completely unacceptable and derogatory to the customer when he is already paying for internet services by the provider.

Secondly, the loss of revenue from regular voice calling to Telco providers does not entitle them to introduce different charges for utilizing applications that offer similar services for free via the internet. The internet is being paid for by the customer in the first place already.

There have been many agitations from the general public about Net Neutrality all over the world and many countries such as The Netherlands, Iceland, Germany, Sweden and Norway have very strict laws for Telco providers. They are part of the communication network in this country and they need to be human and work towards the progress of improving telecommunications instead of fueling greed and western capitalistic attitudes. Even the US FCC has passed laws that maintain Net Neutrality.

I agree that Telcos lose revenue due to lack of regular voice calling, but they have also gained a lot of revenue from internet packages purchased by customers.

TRAI, since you have asked for the common man's opinion, I am very much inclined to request you to help the country progress forward. Businesses and Corporations should not stifle the communications network or its wonderful capabilities of in our country. If telcos cannot adapt to change, they are required to make way for someone else who can. Telcos simply cannot make their own standards - this is completely unacceptable.

I know that you will work for the progress of technology as you always have. Please kindly whip these Telcos back in to place.

With faith and love,

Santosh

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