Those who have challenged Free Basics include founders of some of the most successful internet companies in India, as well as the faculty at prestigious academic institutions like the IITs.
Founders of some of the most successful online start-ups today gave a rousing cheer to Telecom Regularity Authority's new rules that elected net neutrality over differential pricing of data, effectively thumbing down Facebook's Internet scheme in India.
"Hats off to the TRAI for ruling in favour of a free and open internet," tweeted Deepinder Goyal, the creator of the wildly popular restaurant search platform Zomato.
After a two-month long consultation process, TRAI today said Internet service providers will not be allowed to discriminate on pricing for different Web services. A steep fine of Rs 50,000 a day was set for violators.
Snapdeal's Kunal Bahl, too, gave a thumbs up to the government's move. So did Vijay Shekhar Sharma, the creator of Paytm, who has campaigned for net nutrality.
Facebook's big advertisement campaign for its Free Basics programme - a pared-down Internet services on mobile phones with access to the company's own social network and messaging services without charge -- had triggered a debate on net neutrality.
Critics and Internet activists argued that allowing access to a few select apps and web services for free would put small content providers and start-ups at a disadvantage.
The founders of some of the most successful internet companies in India and the faculty at prestigious academic institutions like the IITs who challenged Free Basics, have also argued that if allowed, the Facebook scheme will give huge gate-keeping powers to the online giant.
A few weeks ago, the the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India had suspended Free Basics, saying all websites on the internet should be treated equally.