“There have already been 16-17 versions of the bill as the DoT wants to come up with a comprehensive law that covers all aspects of the sector,” an official said. “The bill also addresses the use of over-the-top (OTT) applications and what the regulatory mechanism may be.”
ET could not confirm the measures proposed in the new version of the bill.
Communications Minister Ashwini Vaishnau recently said that a draft Telecom Bill has been prepared and will soon be put up for public consultation.
Pay attention to applications
Another authority The OTT regulatory mechanism can be finalized only after the recommendations of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The DoT has sent a reference to the regulator and asked him to suggest a way to screen applications in case of irregularities.
The regulator has been asked to revisit its 2020 recommendations, removing the need to regulate such applications. Trey said he would periodically reassess his position after that.
The Telecom Act, which has been in the works for several months, deals with quality of service, rights of way and penalty structure, among other issues.
Data driven network rules
Currently, the telecom sector is mainly regulated under the Telegraph Act and the Wireless Telegraph Act. But since both laws were already in place – essentially for voice telephony and traditional networks – it was felt that a new regulation was needed to deal with new technologies, mainly data-based networks.
DoT wants to provide clarity on spectrum allocation issues as part of telecom bill. After the Supreme Court’s 2012 verdict, the department has not been able to take decisions on spectrum allocation, especially administrative allocation. The bill addresses this and sets clear guidelines around spectrum operations.
Call for a review
As the lines between broadcast and telecom networks are rapidly blurring, the telecom industry is looking for unified rules for different technologies and platforms.
The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), which represents top telcos such as Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea, says the deployment of digital technologies has led to market convergence and ‘intermodal’ competition.
He said telephone, cable, broadcasting, wireless networks and OTT applications are able to provide voice, data and video services on a single broadband platform without spectrum.
“Therefore, we propose that the outcome of the consultation process should address the combined law and regulatory issues relating to telecommunications (both terrestrial and satellite), broadcasting and IT, as well as data privacy and related security issues,” COAI said in response to the DoT’s consultation paper on the legal framework for telecommunications governance. Season said.
DoT will present the draft for public consultation, after which all stakeholders can submit their views. The final version of the bill will be drafted after this and will be notified after the approval of the Parliament as the new Telecom Act.
