Reliance Communications was required to obtain a special approval for its Facebook’s Free Basics service by TRAI, India's telecoms regulatory body, according to The Times of India. Less than a month ago, Facebook via its internet.org initiative launched the Free Basics app to all Reliance Communication customers across all circles in the country.
TRAI has issued a new consultative paper on net netrality and will hold a special hearing next month before issuing a final decision on the matter.
"We are committed to Free Basics and to working with Reliance and the relevant authorities to help people in India get connected," said Facebook in a statement to Business Standard. Facebook has been adjusting its sponsored data ambition with a number of changes to its original internet.org plan. In October, Facebook renamed its Internet.org app to 'Free Basics' and added more than 60 new services from developers, making it available across more than 19 countries.
Indian Regulators Suspend Facebook's Free Basic Services. https://t.co/ugZDisWRPk
— Om Malik (@om) December 23, 2015
@TheNextWeb Facebook adopted a cheap way of getting support of its users to #FreeBasics . pic.twitter.com/ASbXOFut1M
— Vinod Lathe (@vinodlathe) December 17, 2015
