There has been enough said and written around net neutrality and Airtel Zero in the last one week. And its not enough yet. Its still being written, lobbied and on top of that, a wrong message is being conveyed that Airtel Zero violates net neutrality.
I find it’s my responsibility to clear some air and try to explain it with an example. Here it is.
Net Neutrality And Airtel Zero
Its like you are going to gaming zone or imagine a traditional fair where people visit to enjoy various rides. There are 10 different rides like roller coaster, slides, Columbus, bungee jumping placed for the visitors. As a customer you bought a prepaid card of Rs 100 which can be used to pay for the rides. Each ride costs Rs 10. So, you tend to spend Rs 100 to use all the 10 rides. Then the fair organizer launched a scheme wherein three of the rides will be free for the customers and the cost for the same will be recovered from the ride operators. This scheme, as was expected, attracted more visitors to the fair and more people visited the rides, both free ones as well as paid ones. Now, the customers paid only Rs 70 as against Rs 100 prior to the scheme, to enjoy the same 10 rides. People were happy because their expense came down and the fair organizer was happy because more visitors came visited.
Now tell me, did you as a customer loose your choice of using the rides? Did the free ride provider slowed the pace of the rides? Did the paid rides vanish from the fair/gaming zone? Did the fair organizer cut off the electricity supply to the paid rides?
Now you ask yourself, did the fair organizer behaved neutrally with you, with the ride providers and the spirit of the game itself?
I would like to know from you, if it violates the spirit of gaming, stopped anyone from visiting the fair or did it block any ride operator to join the fair?
Compare the scenario with net neutrality and Airtel Zero. Airtel zero being the fair organizer, you are the customer and the rides are the various apps.
