Internet is like a road network. Computers/mobiles are like homes and the big websites like Google, Facebook are like big malls where a lot of people like to go. Whenever you surf Facebook, a small automatic car uses the roads to reach the "Facebook mall" and the mall sends another car back with a lot of entertaining material along with it.

Internet service provider (airtel, bsnl) is like a road builder. They invested lots of money in building roads around your house, but note that they don't own the entire road network. They just own the roads around your house. They don't even own the roads around the "Facebook mall".

Now, imagine the road builder asks you to pay extra fees based on which mall you are going. Or he tells you that you can only use the road for free if you are going to the "Facebook mall" but if you are going to the "Youtube mall" you have to pay extra. Or if you are visiting a friends place (torrents/tor/P2P messengers) , you have to pay a lot extra.

This is what the principle of "net neutrality" says: we respect you (ISPs), for building the roads around our house, but let us roam freely in the world once we pay the toll tax.

ISPs have raised their concerns about loosing in competition to what's app and skype. An answer to that should be loosening regulations on the regular talk and text providers instead of increasing scrutiny on internet. In the end, there will be only one means of data transmission, no cable, no talk time, no SMS, just the INTERNET. Because internet is the better and more flexible technology. Older technologies will die out soon, however hard you try.

Thanks,

Vikas Dhiman

Indian passport number: G1875035