Search Here

Facebook India finally pulled the plug on Free Basics, the controversial platform, after the telecom regulator TRAI prohibited RCom, its mobile partner, from applying differential pricing to make the service paid. "Free Basics is no longer available to people in India," a statement issued by the company's spokesperson said. It is good to note that the statement of withdrawing 'Free Basics' comes exactly after a year of launching 'internet.org' by Facebook and RCom. The project has been withdrawn after the company's founder, Mark Zuckerberg, campaigned aggressively in support of the service but did not gain the traction it hoped for. To make matters worse, the social media giant was reproached for being against net neutrality by protesters in various countries, while TRAI accusing the differential tariffs as discriminatory. "The final straw was the stand taken by RCom to make the service pay. There was no other option left, especially as the company had to follow the law of the land," a source told Times of India.

Facebook introduced the service in 38 countries as Facebook's plan to offer free internet connectivity to millions of people who do not have the access to the facility. "Connectivity can't just be a privilege for some of the rich and powerful," Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in 2014 at the first meeting of Internet.org. "It needs to be something that everyone shares, and an opportunity for everyone." As many as 10 Lakh people signed up for Free Basics platform on the RCom network, as reported by Computer World

However, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India barred free data services for a selection of content, known as zero-rating. TRAI said that they took the suggestions of people into account that differential pricing should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. But this kind of validation would incur high regulatory cost and will only benefit those companies that are financially well-off to track legal and regulatory options, says PC World