Opposition continues to mount against Facebook’s roll-out of its Free Basics initiative in India, with a number of tech companies reportedly voicing concern over the service, while the social giant has also encountered a hurdle in Egypt.

India probe
According to Reuters, nine tech start-ups, including Alibaba-backed Paytm, wrote to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) urging it to ensure internet access was allowed without differential pricing.

“There is no reason to create a digital divide by offering a walled garden of limited services in the name of providing access to the poor,” read a letter seen by the publication.

Late last month, TRAI told Facebook’s partner in India, Reliance Communications, to put a halt on its Free Basics roll-out, while asking Facebook for more information about the zero rating initiative.

It then released a consultation paper requesting industry feedback on the Free Basics concept, for which it said it received a record number of submissions.

However, more than three quarters of the 1.8 million comments submitted via Facebook will be disregarded as they did not adhere to the correct format, said TRAI. Facebook had too been urging users in India to submit feedback via its social media network and through mobile phones.

Critics of the service, a product of Facebook’s internet.org initiative, claim it violates principles of net neutrality by offering access to certain web services on mobile devices for free, including Facebook’s social media network.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has since hit back, telling Economic Times newspaper that “for India to make progress, more than 1 billion people need to be connected to the internet”.

“What reason is there for denying people free access to vital services for communication, education, healthcare, employment, farming and women’s rights?”

A final policy decision is expected to made by regulators next month.

Egypt ban
Adding to the company’s woes regarding service, Free Basics was also suspended in Egypt late last week after the social media giant failed to renew a permit required by the government.

Free Basics launched in Egypt two months ago in collaboration with Etisalat. The suspension is not related to security concerns, according to reports.