My name is Venu Vedam and I am a prolific internet user. I use and consume all kinds of services such as WhatsApp, Skype, Youtube etc along with text based services like this email application.

I would like to share my opinion on net neutrality in this email. I strongly feel internet is one of the main reasons India is growing so fast as the knowledge capital of the world. Indians today have access to anyone and any service anywhere in the world thanks to Internet. You don't have to be a rich person to have meaningful interactions with the visionaries of the world. 

Services like WhatsApp, Skype etc have made this happen. The ISPs with their insanely expensive and completely unjustified tariffs for ISD and SMS in particular are seeing red because of this revolution. However, I would like you to take a look at (I am sure you already have) FCC's ruling in the US that brings all ISPs under the purview of Title 2 carriers - effectively making them a utility pipe just like an electricity connection or a water connection.

Internet has become a utility - in some cases more important that the two mentioned above.

It is important that it remains impartial. It is important that we do not allow any sort of discrimination or tier system in Internet to protect its impartiality. All data bits are equal. The ISPs should not be worried about what kind of a bit it is. If this poses logistics challenges for the ISPs, they should charge the consumers extra for all bits. Not just certain types of bits. And they are already doing it via FUP (Fair Usage Policy). It doesn't matter what services I use. If I cross 35GB per month, I am either throttled or made to pay extra. This is absolutely fine with us because it doesn't discriminate based on the nature of the bits. 

If we allow ISPs to create tiers - like WhatsApp bits are different than Skype bits... Tomorrow Airtel may ask us to pay extra to watch Youtube. This kills innovation and competition in the bud. Only those big deep pockets will be able to come up with such services in future. 

Please do not allow this to happen. All bits should be treated the same way by the ISP. They should only act as a pipe to the consumers like a water pipe. Let there be no differentiation between the kind of data that flows through those pipes.

Request you to take a leaf out of FCC's decision in the US and protect our Internet. 

Internet is the best thing happened to India. Please save it. Please do not give in to the pressure tactics by the ISPs. Think of the big picture and think of our future generations. 

Internet is our fundamental right. Internet is a pillar of our democracy. Please do not kill it. 

All data should be equal and there should be no discrimination.

I hope my views are considered seriously

Regards

Venu

9866107833