The Department of Telecommunications has constituted an internal committee to formulate policy on the net neutrality issue. The six-member committee will be headed by A K Bhargava, Member (Technology) and will examine the issue of net neutrality from a public policy perspective. It will analyse advantages and disadvantages of net neutrality and examine the economic impact of a regulated telecom service sector and an unregulated applications and content sectors on the telecom sector. The committee will propose an overall policy in this regard.
The issue of net neutrality has gained significant attention with the Cellular Operators Association of India contesting that internet telephony is a licensed service permitted only under ISP or unified licence granted under the Indian Telegraph Act. Hence, companies offering over-the-top voice services are essentially violating and circumventing Indian telecom licence provisions by offering services that are otherwise only permitted under a telecom license.