DoT panel report recommends to regulate WhatsApp,Skype,Viber supports net neutrality

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has released its final report on Net Neutrality after months of intense debate and discussions on the internet freedom over the past few months.

An internal panel of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has recommended domestic VoIP (voice over internet protocol) calls offered by WhatsApp, Skype and Viber be regulated, in line with voice calls offered by telecom operators. However, the committee has a “liberal approach” when it comes to international VoIP services and messaging apps. As per TRAI’s calculations voice calls offered by telecom companies are about 12.5 times more expensive than those through OTT services; in the case of messages, the difference is 16 times. For a one-minute phone call, a customer is charged about 50 paise, while a one-minute call made through the internet costs four paisa.

Where OTT services like WhatsApp, Viber, Facebook Messenger are concerned, the recommendations of the committee say that such application services should be actively encouraged and that regulatory norms are not required for messaging OTTs. The panel has opposed projects like Facebook’s Internet.org, which allow access to certain websites without mobile data charges, while suggesting that similar plans such as Airtel Zero be allowed with prior clearance from Telecom Regulatory Authority of India or TRAI.

According to the report, the primary goals of public policy in the context of Net Neutrality should be directed towards achievement of developmental aims of the country by facilitating “Affordable Broadband”, “Quality Broadband” and “Universal Broadband” for its citizens. Together, the DoT panel’s report and Trai’s recommendations will decide the final norms on net neutrality. 

Samsung Launched Galaxy J5 and J7 4G Enabled Android 5.1 Lollipop Smartphones in India At Rs 11,999 and 14,999

Samsung has launched Galaxy J5 and Galaxy J7, the company’s latest selfie-focused smartphones with 5-megapixel front-facing camera with LED flash in India, The Galaxy J5 has a 5-inch HD screen and is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 SoC, while the Galaxy J7 comes with a 5.5-inch HD display and is powered by an Octa-Core Exynos SoC. Both these smartphones run on Android 5.1 (Lollipop) with new UI and have a 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash. Both these have 4G connectivity with supports for LTE bands in India.

Samsung Galaxy J5 specifications

5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD IPS display1.2GHz quad-core 64-bit Snapdragon 410 processor with Adreno 306 GPU1.5GB RAM, 16GB internal memory, expandable up to 64GB with microSDAndroid 5.1 (Lollipop)Dual SIM13MP rear camera with LED flash, f/1.9 aperture5MP front-facing camera with LED flash, 120-degree wide-angle lensDimensions: 142 x 73 x 8.5mm; Weight: 149g4G LTE / 3G HSPA+, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS2600mAh battery

Samsung Galaxy J7 specifications

5.5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD IPS displayOcta-Core (1.4GHz + 1GHz) Exynos processor1.5GB RAM, 16GB internal memory, expandable up to 128GB with microSDAndroid 5.1 (Lollipop)Dual SIM13MP rear camera with LED flash, f/1.9 aperture5MP front-facing camera with LED flash, 120-degree wide-angle lensDimensions: 152.2 x 79.1 x 7.9mm; Weight: 168g4G LTE / 3G HSPA+, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS3000mAh battery

The Galaxy J5 and Galaxy J7 come in Black, White and Gold colors and are priced at Rs. 11,999 and Rs. 14,999, respectively. These smartphones come with Rs. 3200 worth in-app purchase credit from Gameloft, Double data for Airtel customers on 4G for 6 months and offers on Airtel’s Wynk music for Rs. 594. These smartphones will be available exclusively on Flipkart. Pre-booking started now and sale starts on July 23rd. As an introductory offer, Samsung is offering Rs. 999 worth flip cover for Rs. 199 for these smartphones.