Thread by @nixxin

You remember how Airtel sliced off Internet calls into a separate pack, which eventually led to the #NetNeutrality campaign?

Telcos are at it again: m.economictimes.com/et-brands/must…
They want online messaging to be licensed in India and are lobbying @DoT_India and @AshwiniVaishnaw
1/n

And @DoT_India and @AshwiniVaishnaw are considering changing India's hard fought and globally recognised #NetNeutrality standing. I hope @PMOIndia is watching this. The Draft telecom bill decidedly favours mobile operators, and seeks to bring even email under licensing. It's
2/n

Such lazy policymaking, so archaic in thinking, that it will even bring ecommerce, cloud, video streaming, payments... Everything under a licensing regime, and specifically under @DoT_India . This when there's an easy fix. How should it change?
3/n

Separate Access from Services. Telecom operators don't provide the internet, which is global. They provide access to it. That uses spectrum, which is a scarce national resource. A progressive telecom regulation would license Access to ensure better utilisation of spectrum and
4/n

Take internet services licensing out of the telecom framework. If telcos see rich text messaging as a substitute for SMS (they're imperfect substitutes), then they're free to launch online services, like they have done for music and many others. And those shouldn't be licensed