Trai moots panel under DoT to regulate net neutrality

“The role of the MSB (multi-stakeholder body) shall be to provide advice and support the DoT in monitoring and enforcement of net neutrality principles," Trai said.

The regulator also recommended that DoT may define traffic management practices (TMPs) with the help of the multi-stakeholder panel. “As per the framework suggested by stakeholders, DoT may maintain and publish a refined list of TMPs adopted by all TSPs having those TMPs that are found reasonable after the process of review."

The panel will have all telecom and internet service providers and other stakeholders such as content providers, researchers, academic and technical community, civil society organisations, consumers and the government, Trai said.

It will investigate complaints of net neutrality violation received from its members or common people, or related references made to it by the DoT or Trai. It will also submit report to the DoT, and a copy to Trai, based on monitoring of internet services, investigations of incidents, and review of reports submitted by its members.

“The Authority (Trai) recommends that the DoT may define the process for creation and maintenance of a repository of reasonable TMPs," Trai said.

The panel will recommend suitable technical standards and methodologies on matters related to best practices to be adopted for TMPs. Internet access providers will submit, to both DoT and the panel, the list of practices that they use for managing their networks.

The DoT may require internet access providers to maintain complete and accurate records of instances of application of traffic management practices for future reference.

For transparency, internet access providers should only be allowed to use traffic management practices declared by them and recorded in the repository of such practices, Trai said.