SUMMARY
The new legislations will take the country’s digital regulatory system at par with the global standards: Ashwini Vaishnaw
Government moving a methodical way with reforms; India’s telecom sector will be the best in the world: Telecom Minister
The Ministry of Communications has released the draft Indian Telecommunication Bill, 2022 which also aims to regulate OTT communication apps such as Whatsapp
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The government is planning to introduce at least three more legislations to take the country’s digital regulatory system at par with the global standards, Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said during a Public Affairs Forum of India (PAFI) event.
“We should be the economy where we actually come and say that okay, at a population scale a billion plus population or society as diverse as ours, an economy as complex as ours and for an economy which is growing, what are the things that we should look at when we are drafting our legal structure? So that is the objective that which we are moving for,” an ET report quoted Vaishnaw as saying.
He was responding to questions on the draft Indian Telecommunication Bill, 2022, released on Wednesday. The Ministry of Communications has proposed widening the definition of telecommunication services to regulate new-age services like over-the-top (OTT) communication services.
Besides, the new proposed definition of telecommunication services includes satellite-based communication services, internet-based communication services, in-flight and maritime connectivity services, interpersonal communications services, and machine-to-machine communication services.
The draft bill has proposed that OTT communication apps such as Whatsapp obtain a licence from the government.
“In a very methodical way, we are moving step by step by end of which, we should see India’s telecom sector, among the best in the world,” Vaishnaw said.
The draft bill has been welcomed by the country’s telecom industry as it has been a long-standing demand of the telcos to bring OTT communication services such as WhatsApp, Telegram under regulatory ambit.
Since the emergence of those apps, the telecom players have taken a hit on their revenue from voice calls and messaging services as these new-age apps offer free audio and video calling and messaging services.
While telecom companies need to acquire spectrum licences and undertake heavy capital expenditure to provide services, OTT communication apps currently do not need any permit to offer their services.
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