I don't see how it is fair to consumers to get an internet speed of 256 kbps even though they are paying for a connection that was sold to them as having 2 mbps speed," asks a furious Mukesh Maurya, an IT consultant. Maurya, who relies on the web for his business and entertainment, recently saw his Internet Service Provider (ISP) cut the speed of his 2 mbps connection by eight times because "he has exceeded the quota allotted to him." In India, data-based plans are nothing new. But Maurya's case is little different. He pays a premium for an internet plan that has no data limits. Still, once he crosses the threshold of 25 GB data transfer, the connection speed drops to a crawling 256 that, he says, is not even fit "for checking emails and watching an occasional photo album on Facebook".
Maurya says he is a victim of FUP, a term with two meanings – one, official; the other not. FUP is an abbreviation for fair usage policy, but irate consumers like to refer it to as the 'f**k users policy'. FUP is a service condition that first appeared in India roughly two years ago as a footnote in the agreement between broadband users and ISPs. In recent months, it has become a hotly debated issue.
ISPs say FUP is a necessity because "a very small number of customers use an excessive amount of the network bandwidth". Those who use more bandwith are often called data hogs, consuming as much as 200 GB in a month. An Airtel spokesperson said, "Data hogs impair the experience of a much larger set of users on the same network". Airtel has been criticized for its FUP.
The spokesperson adds, "FUP is a feature of internet services across the world. In India, all ISPs enforce FUP even though some may not publicize it or inform users". TOI could not verify every ISP's claims but a senior MTNL broadband official says its unlimited data plans do not have "FUP attached to them". Even so, users say MTNL's services are too unreliable to be a viable option even though they don't have the FUP condition.
Users say it is hogwash to talk of FUP as an essential feature that safeguards the average consumer. "The problem in India is that the limits are not fair," says Sushubh Mittal, administrator, Broadbandforum.in, which has more than 36,000 members. Mittal says FUP can be ridiculous. He cites a Tata Indicom plan that offers a 20 mbps speed, with a monthly FUP of 50 GB. "With connections as fast as this, a user can easily finish his FUP limit in 10 hours. Why do these companies even bother to come out with such packages? Do they expect a user to get a 50 mbps connection and then use it just for checking emails?" laughs Mittal. Tata Indicom did not reply to TOI emails about the issue.
Maurya illustrates the limitations FUP imposes on users as follows: "My internet connection has a speed of 2 mbps and an FUP limit of 25 GB. If I spend one hour daily on YouTube, stream some news on the BBC website, listen to radio over the internet for two hours every day and purchase and download a game through Steam, my FUP limit will be easily crossed in 15 days". He adds that to use an internet connection with FUP nowadays is akin to experiencing the futuristic world of 2050 on a bullock cart.
The internet arrived in India in the late1990s but users say the country is yet to get decent ISPs. Mittal says it's been years since "TRAI set the minimum speed required to be sold as broadband at 256 kbps. Now it wants to update it to 2 mbps. But ISPs are opposing the move and have used their lobby to stall the reforms. The problem is that after reforms, no ISP in India will be able to sell plans with FUP that reduces speed to 256 kbps and label it as broadband. FUP pretty much nullifies the growth we have made over the last couple of years".
Maurya says he is a victim of FUP, a term with two meanings – one, official; the other not. FUP is an abbreviation for fair usage policy, but irate consumers like to refer it to as the 'f**k users policy'. FUP is a service condition that first appeared in India roughly two years ago as a footnote in the agreement between broadband users and ISPs. In recent months, it has become a hotly debated issue.
ISPs say FUP is a necessity because "a very small number of customers use an excessive amount of the network bandwidth". Those who use more bandwith are often called data hogs, consuming as much as 200 GB in a month. An Airtel spokesperson said, "Data hogs impair the experience of a much larger set of users on the same network". Airtel has been criticized for its FUP.
The spokesperson adds, "FUP is a feature of internet services across the world. In India, all ISPs enforce FUP even though some may not publicize it or inform users". TOI could not verify every ISP's claims but a senior MTNL broadband official says its unlimited data plans do not have "FUP attached to them". Even so, users say MTNL's services are too unreliable to be a viable option even though they don't have the FUP condition.
Users say it is hogwash to talk of FUP as an essential feature that safeguards the average consumer. "The problem in India is that the limits are not fair," says Sushubh Mittal, administrator, Broadbandforum.in, which has more than 36,000 members. Mittal says FUP can be ridiculous. He cites a Tata Indicom plan that offers a 20 mbps speed, with a monthly FUP of 50 GB. "With connections as fast as this, a user can easily finish his FUP limit in 10 hours. Why do these companies even bother to come out with such packages? Do they expect a user to get a 50 mbps connection and then use it just for checking emails?" laughs Mittal. Tata Indicom did not reply to TOI emails about the issue.
Maurya illustrates the limitations FUP imposes on users as follows: "My internet connection has a speed of 2 mbps and an FUP limit of 25 GB. If I spend one hour daily on YouTube, stream some news on the BBC website, listen to radio over the internet for two hours every day and purchase and download a game through Steam, my FUP limit will be easily crossed in 15 days". He adds that to use an internet connection with FUP nowadays is akin to experiencing the futuristic world of 2050 on a bullock cart.
The internet arrived in India in the late1990s but users say the country is yet to get decent ISPs. Mittal says it's been years since "TRAI set the minimum speed required to be sold as broadband at 256 kbps. Now it wants to update it to 2 mbps. But ISPs are opposing the move and have used their lobby to stall the reforms. The problem is that after reforms, no ISP in India will be able to sell plans with FUP that reduces speed to 256 kbps and label it as broadband. FUP pretty much nullifies the growth we have made over the last couple of years".
