| I was just having a chat with a few people in a few Indian villages which got connected to internet in last 1-2 years. A few of my observations: 1. They think FB/Whatsapp is NOT internet. Internet is meant to be accessed through browser. So we already have an illusioned world. 2. 'Internet' is only meant for the elite. 3. Whatsapp/FB serve the same purpose that text messages did. They use FB/Whatsapp to save on cost of sending sms. 4. Their biggest issue is that they don't have jobs. Cities are very far away. The ONLY employment opportunity available to young people (including college graduates) is farming!! 5. I tried to quiz them on how FB/Whatsapp has helped in creating jobs/economic activity/improving farming. Couldn't get a lot of answers. (not saying FB cannot help) 6. They can afford to pay for cheap data packs to get access to FB/Whatsapp (about $2-4 per month). All the young people in the villages have Whatsapp/smart phones. Although this may not stand for the poorest of the poor. It is going to be very hard to decide if banning free basics is going to create more jobs for the poor or not. But I think the basic premise of the regulator's decision is giving Indian startups a fair chance. The regulator is only trying to create a fair battle field for startups. The poor need Indian entrepreneurs more than anything else. The regulator is only trying to help entrepreneurship in India. But one thing is clear, FB isn't being entirely altruistic (for obvious reasons), but the same cannot be said for Indian regulators. I believe the regulators have ONLY the interest of the people in mind. |