Re: cellular operator association has bizarre interpretation of Net neutrality

If pure-play data ISP's can offer competing and sometimes much better data
plans (check out ACT, YOU...), without any cross-subsidy from voice
revenue, I wonder how can voice-centric telco's cook up this 6x increase in
data-tariffs figure, especially given the massive difference in scale, at
which the two operate. The pure-play data ISP has to contend with high (but
not as high as RF) capex, and very high opex, due to the very challenging
last-mile. Is the mobile telco's argument then boil down to cost of
spectrum alone ?

On Thu, May 7, 2015 at 5:59 PM, Kiritkumar Lathia <[email protected]>
wrote:

> Arun,
>
> Interesting definition indeed!
>
> I suppose they have sent sms to their clients asking them whether they
> wish data rate to go up 6x or have "net neutrality" / "level playing field"
> - so a normal person would agree with the second one as nobody wants their
> data cost increased!
>
> What they are highlighting is the issue with "internet" per-se globally.
> The classic example was in USA where the "pipe provider" was (long
> distance) AT&T and it went bankrupt. It was bought by a "baby bell" mobile
> company and kept the name AT&T). Most of the investment is in providing
> connectivity and the "last mile" people (ISP or mobile) make (some) money
> by direct link with end customer.
>
> All, incl. mobile operator, use IP since the circuit switched "exchanges"
> are being phased out rapidly since they are no longer economical. The main
> revenue return-on-investment was and still is "voice"; so if OTT
> cannabilises the main revenue stream, who pays for the massive investments
> required?
>
> Best wishes,
> Kirit
>
> On 7 May 2015 at 08:43, Arun Mehta <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> The cellular operators want the exact opposite of Net neutrality. They
>> want anyone offering Net telephony, such as Skype, Whatsapp and Google
>> Hangouts, to be forced to obtain a license and pay license fees.  If not,
>> they will be forced to raise the cost for the awful data connectivity they
>> offer by up to 6 times! Gee. Blackmail!
>>
>> They claim that within 10 days of launching an online campaign, they
>> already have 4 million messages of support.
>>
>> I would like to know how they formulated the questions they asked.
>> Unfortunately, you can't get any information from their website, until you
>> register. Talk about openness.
>>
>> Airtel has already received a thrashing on Net neutrality. What does COAI
>> expect, after such blackmail attempts?
>>
>> warmly,
>>
>> Arun Mehta
>>
>>
>> http://tech.firstpost.com/news-analysis/net-neutrality-cellular-operators-association-gets-support-of-4-million-indians-265981.html
>>
>> Four million mobile subscribers have supported COAI’s campaign favouring
>> net neutrality for internet-based communication services like WhatsApp and
>> Skype and their being subject to norms similar to those applying to mobile
>> phone operators, the apex body of cellular operators said.
>>
>> “Sabka Internet, Sab ka Vikas — the campaign for net neutrality, net
>> equality and consumer choice, has received support from over 40 lakh Indian
>> mobile users in under a week,” the Cellular Operators Association of India
>> (COAI) said in a statement here.
>>
>> “The entire mobile number database of supporters is auditable on request
>> by the appropriate agency,” it added.
>>
>> Launched last week, “Sabka Internet, Sab ka Vikas”, a campaign about
>> making the Internet accessible and affordable for every Indian, seeks a
>> level playing field with net-based services like Skype and WhatApp.
>>
>> The industry body said if the telecom operators are not offered a level
>> playing field with net-based services, then their businesses would be
>> viable only by raising data prices by up to six times.
>>
>> It comes against the backdrop of the debate over net neutrality and
>> allegations that telecom operators are hurting the concept of free internet
>> access by giving preferential treatment to a select few service providers.
>>
>> “COAI started the outreach effort to ensure that mobile customers have
>> the freedom to benefit from the power of the Internet in the way they would
>> wish to, including the choice of platform, device and technology,” said
>> COAI director general Rajan S. Mathews.
>>
>> The net neutrality principle came into focus in India following mobile
>> operator Airtel’s launch of an open marketing platform ‘Airtel Zero’, and
>> the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s consultation paper on whether
>> telecom firms could be allowed to charge different rates for different uses
>> of Internet data such as e-mail, browsing and for use of apps like
>> Whatsapp, Viber and Skype.
>>
>> *IANS*
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> India-gii mailing list
>> India-gii-IAPFreCvJWP2/[email protected]
>> https://lists.india-gii.org/mailman/listinfo/india-gii
>>
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
> India-gii mailing list
> India-gii-IAPFreCvJWP2/[email protected]
> https://lists.india-gii.org/mailman/listinfo/india-gii
>
>


-- 
regards,
Banibrata
http://www.linkedin.com/in/bdutta
http://twitter.com/edgeliving

_______________________________________________
India-gii mailing list
India-gii-IAPFreCvJWP2/[email protected]
https://lists.india-gii.org/mailman/listinfo/india-gii