Internet Governance/Advocacy

The Telecom Regulating Authority of India (TRAI) released a consultation paper to gauge public sentiment over differential pricing of data services. The paper evoked intense reactions in the media especially on Facebook's 'Free Basics' initiative with Reliance, which was widely publicised. You…

In light of the growing media focus on Facebook's 'Free Basics' and the overwhelming response to the TRAI consultation paper on differential pricing, Parminder Jeet Singh argues how differential pricing will invert the basic egalitarian design of the Internet in this article in Deccan Herald.…

Following Face book’s aggressive campaign to gain public support for Free Basics, Parminder Jeet Singh in this article in The Hindu argues how while the campaign utterly failed in its intended purpose, its unintended consequences may have done a lot of good to India in shaping a new level of…

Following TRAI's historic ruling that prohibits the discriminatory tariffs for data services, Parminder Jeet Singh, in this op-ed in the Deccan Herald, discusses how TRAI has asserted its regulatory control over the Internet by ensuring data services are not discriminated based on content and…

ITfC has made submissions to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in response to the two consultation papers it released, one on free data and another a more general pre-consultation on net neutrality.

On the consultation paper on free data TRAI sought comments on alternate…

Article 19 called for a public consultation on Principles on Privacy and Freedom of Expression. IT for Change submitted comments to the Draft Principles. Our inputs emphasized: the need to re-formulate the concept of personal data in times of Big Data analysis, algorithms and…

Statement issued by 8 Indian civil society organisations, supported by two key global networks, involved with Internet governance issues, to the meeting of ICANN in Hyderabad, India, from 3 rd to 9 th November, 2016

IT for Change made a submission to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India(TRAI) in response to the call for comments on the Consultation Paper on Proliferation of Broadband through Public Wi-Fi Networks. The submission pointed out the need for adopting last mile…

IT for Change made a submission to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India in response to the call for comments on the Pre-Consultation Paper on Cloud Computing. The response at the outset stresses that any discussions on the digital, like cloud computing, must be made in…

Parminder Jeet Singh discusses how the digital has triggered a transformation where digital companies are taking over traditional sectors and established a monopoly in those sectors, one that is powerful enough to challenge traditional state controls. Read his article in The…

The Telecom Regulating Authority of India (TRAI) released a consultation paper to test waters and the public sentiment over regulating the at-present loosely defined OTT (over-the-top) services. One of the most important issues in the paper was of net neutrality and its various pros and cons.…

Parminder Jeet Singh, IT for Change, India, presented a draft proposal at the Russian Internet Governance Forum's panel on BRICS, for instituting a formal framework of cooperation on digital economy, and also setting up a research centre in this area. This proposal appeared as an article in…

IT for Change provided its comments to the Committee on Net Neutrality of the Government of India's Department of Telecommunication. There are below and also enclosed. The submission highlights 'equality of opportunity' more than consumer's freedom of choice as the key principle underlying a net…

IT for Change was at the 18th annual session of the United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development . We delivered the following intervention during the plenary discussion reviewing the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). This meeting of the…

The recent public consultation by TRAI has catapulted the issue of 'net neutrality' into mainstream consciousness. In this article for the Economic and Political Weekly Parminder Jeet Singh delineates precisely what net neutrality is, and the important criteria it must meet to…