Telecom Bill: Surge In Voice Calls Over OTT Apps Behind Move To Regulate Them

SUMMARY

The increase in voice calls over such apps has also led to many challenges due to the fact those calls are hard to track, as per govt officials

These apps currently account for 60-70% of voice calls, as per a Department of Telecommunications official

The draft telecommunication bill proposed that OTT communication apps obtain a licence from the government

The provision in the draft Telecom Bill to regulate OTT communication apps such as Telegram, Signal, WhatsApp has been introduced as there has been a multifold increase in voice calls over these apps, according to government officials.

The increase in voice calls over such apps has led to many challenges, including on national security issues and financial frauds, as these calls are hard to track, officials from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) told ET.

These apps currently account for 60-70% of voice calls, as per a DoT official. Unsurprisingly, WhatsApp accounts for a significant share of the voice calls over OTT communication apps.

With more than 500 Mn smartphone users and a constant rise in 4G data consumption, it is important for communication apps to follow certain safeguards to ensure consumer protection and national security, the officials said.

While it is easy to track normal voice calls, as telecom operators have to store call record data for at least for a year, the same is not the case for OTT calls.

In the recently released draft Indian Telecommunication Bill, 2022, the Ministry of Communications has proposed widening the definition of telecommunication services to regulate these new-age services like over-the-top (OTT) communication services.

The draft bill has also proposed that OTT communication apps such as Whatsapp obtain a licence from the government. In addition, the draft bill has also proposed looking at mandating local storage of data for a certain period by these apps.

The new provisions will enable law enforcement agencies to track illegal activities through OTT communication apps. Most online financial scams take place through OTT calls, the report quoted government officials as saying.

Urging for a level playing field, the telecom players had also requested the DoT to regulate OTT communication apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal. The industry had urged to bring in a ‘forward looking’ law that addresses the requirements of the convergence of various digital services.

As per Statista data, Meta-owned messaging service WhatsApp is estimated to have 581.93 Mn users in India.