The government is soon likely to issue the report on net neutrality prepared by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). The report is currently being reviewed by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), and will form the basis for the government policy on 'net neutrality' along with recommendations of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), which are yet to be submitted to DoT.

The final report is expected to support the government's earlier stand of equitable access to the internet without any prioritization. Meanwhile, the government may disallow the 'zero rating' plans in its final policy on net neutrality. However, it could make an exception for delivery of essential government services such as education and health on a preferential basis.

Telecom operators are of the view that the growth of over-the-top applications, especially the ones providing communication services such as Whatsapp and Skype, has negatively impacted their messaging revenues. Moreover, the voice services offered by OTT players can also potentially affect their voice revenues, which presently accounts for a majority of the operator’s business. The DoT and the TRAI had earlier taken the views of all stakeholders for their respective assessments.