A new consultation paper by Trai suggests that all apps and websites should be regulated to be accessed in India. You can read the full paper as a PDF on Trai's site but it is over 100 pages of roundabout language that seems designed to be hard to read. Don't get put off though, because this could really affect you. Reading the paper, you get the sense that Trai wants apps like Skype, Whatsapp and Viber to cost you more to use, despite saying that net neutrality is important.
In fact, Trai's draft also goes beyond teleco issues, and talks about healthcare, cultural sensitivity and cyber-bullying. There are different government departments that already look at these different issues, so should Trai be getting involved?
These regulations could lay the groundwork for higher prices to access your favourite websites. The apps that you want to use might not be available at all if licensing becomes required. And it could become harder than ever for Indians to start online businesses, as more and more layers of bureaucracy get added.
What do you think? Should apps and websites be licensed? Do you think that companies like Vodafone and Airtel should be allowed you to charge a special fee for every site, the way you pay for different channel packages on your television?