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)