According to the Draft telecommunication bill 2022, TRAI will retain its power in the Indian telecommunications sector?
The Department of Transportation may soon introduce a revised version of the telecommunications bill after taking into account comments from interested parties, which would still include section 11 of the TRAI law. Furthermore, the revised bill would specify and clearly define the exaggerated communication actors that would be subject to regulation.
Synopsis
- The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has been an integral part of the Indian telecommunications industry over the past decades.
- The regulatory body has worked closely with the government to ensure that consumers' interests are always protected.
- The telecom bill would be very crucial as, for the first time, it would regulate OTT players.
The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has been an integral part of the Indian telecommunications industry over the past decades. The regulatory body has worked closely with the government to ensure that consumers' interests are always protected.
But the recent 2022 telecommunications bill sought to dilute the power of the sector regulator. It has brought concerns and confusion among industry stakeholders. But now it may happen that the clause that sought to dilute the power of TRAI is removed from the revised telecommunications law of 2022.
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) could introduce the provision in the telecommunications bill that requires the government to try to reconsider the recommendations of the TRAI that it rejected or disagree with and then provide adequate justification for doing so, has stated an ET report.
According to the report, the Department of Transportation may soon introduce a revised version of the telecommunications bill after taking into account stakeholder feedback, which would still include section 11 of the TRAI law. Furthermore, the revised bill would specify and clearly define the exaggerated communication actors that would be subject to regulation. There would also be changes in the way the spectrum is assigned. With the revision of the 2022 telecommunications bill, the government would clear up many things and misunderstandings.
The report mentions that officials from TRAI and DoT have discussed and agreed to maintain existing arrangements that ensure that TRAI's powers are not diluted in the industry.
The telecom bill would be very crucial as, for the first time, it would regulate OTT players. Furthermore, the industry eagerly awaits the government's decision on how to allocate spectrum to different actors. The confusion has become too great with satcom (satellite communication) players also looking to purchase spectrum to provide broadband space services.
