Indian Telecoms Regulator Effectively Bans Facebook's Free Basics Service
February 08 2016 - 7:10AM
Dow Jones News
NEW DELHI—Indian telecommunications regulators on Monday
effectively banned a controversial Facebook Inc. program to let
people have free, but limited, use of the Internet, issuing rules
requiring companies to charge the same price for access to any
website.
Under the regulations, Reliance Communications Ltd., Facebook's
partner in India, can no longer offer the company's Free Basics
service. It also cannot offer free access to Facebook's
social-media website.
A Facebook spokesman said the company was reviewing the new
rules and declined to immediately comment. A Reliance Communication
spokesman couldn't be reached for comment.
Critics of Free Basics and similar services say they violate net
neutrality by giving an unfair advantage to companies that
participate. Facebook has said the program doesn't violate net
neutrality. The company says the aim of Free Basics is to give more
people Internet access.
Write to Sean McLain at sean.mclain@wsj.com and Joanna Sugden at
joanna.sugden@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
February 08, 2016 06:55 ET (11:55 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2016 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META)
Historical Stock Chart
From Aug 2024 to Sep 2024
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META)
Historical Stock Chart
From Sep 2023 to Sep 2024