"... by throwing in short-sighted plans, you are preventing the Government and the market from thinking up plans for giving permanent access to the full Interne

"... by throwing in short-sighted plans, you are preventing the Government and the market from thinking up plans for giving permanent access to the full Internet for these poor." I am on the fence on whether to support Free Basics or not, but the scale tilts here for me towards Free Basics. This response is like saying, "No, don't help them - you'll prevent us from helping them at some point in the future." The poor person in the village, on the street, shouldn't have to wait five more years for the internet(in whatever form) when a solution (though partial) is available now. Suppose the government does introduce a proper 'Free Internet' plan two years later. I don't think anything would stop them from switching from the biased Free Basics to the better plans.