Imagine paying for tweeting or updating your Facebook status from your phone, or for accessing Gmail on your computer. Imagine having to pay for all the free internet services. A decision due to be taken over the next couple of weeks will drastically impact your usage of the Internet. The World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT), scheduled to be held this December, will decide a new set of standards and regulations for telecom, by updating the International Telecommunication Regulations (ITRs), and bring under its purview the Internet. The version of ITRs currently in force were agreed upon in 1988, and did not anticipate or include provisions for internet, mobile phones or even the possibility of receiving data from across the globe in one single device by any user. So expect changes as several policy decisions are negotiated and agreed upon at the WCIT in December 2012 by the member countries of International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Although India’s draft proposal appears to be a closely guarded secret (Why?), here’s an overview of some changes that will affect Internet users and businesses across the globe. Impact on Internet Services Skype, Whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter, E-commerce sites like Flipkart, Jabong etc: These are Over The Top or OTT services that run above the basic Internet network and have so far not been charged for by the internet service providers. Some telecom operators feel that these have been eating into their margins. With a larger goal of managing the increasing traffic and quality of service,…
