Trai seeks views on differential priicng of data in consultation paper

KOLKATA: India’s telecom regulator said its recent consultation paper is not on net neutrality but seeks industry feedback on whether differential pricing of data services is fair. "We have not issued any consultation paper on net neutrality as such, but have invited stakeholder views on whether the differential pricing regime is appropriate or not," RS Sharma, chairman, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India ( Trai), said at an event in Delhi on Friday.

According to him, telecom companies were "creating a differential pricing regime for different websites," which had induced the sector regulator to come up with the consultation paper "on whether it is appropriate".

Trai’s consultation paper issued on Wednesday seeks to examine whether zero rating plans and bundling of certain data, free or at a discounted rate by telcos, is discriminatory, anti-competitive, predatory and misleading.