Have the concerns raised by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India<\/a> (Trai<\/a>) regarding dilution of powers in the draft telecom bill been addressed?
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The issue has been resolved. Basis our discussions with Trai, we will continue with the existing provisions in the Trai Act<\/a> as of now.
However, we do want to highlight that the intent to remove the provisions of the Trai Act was not to make Trai weak, but to simplify the processes that used to take too much shuffling back and forth between Trai and DoT (Department of Telecommunications).
We will have extensive consultations with Trai and all stakeholders to come up with a much stronger Trai, benchmarked to the best in the world. Trai needs more teeth, power to punish, power to enforce. It needs a strong technical, legal, and financial team. So, we will take a comprehensive look at the role and structure of Trai.
The bill talks about regulating over-the-top (OTT) communication. How does the government plan to enforce that?
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The bill has three constructs–licensing, registration, and authorisation. OTT communication regulatory structure will be decided after extensive consultations with all stakeholders. We will involve Trai in this process. We have clearly stated our intent of light-touch regulation with focus on cybersecurity and protection of users.
There has been confusion around the definition of OTT, which currently is broad. Can OTT apps like food aggregators etc. be brought under regulation?
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No, the intent is to regulate only communication apps. The definition of OTT will be made clear in the revised bill.
The intent of the government is to protect consumers from falling prey to cyber frauds. Doesn’t a person who receives a call have the right to know who’s calling? So that she can decide whether to receive or reject the call?
Some experts have raised concerns that KYC in apps can lead to a breach of privacy.
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Actually, it’s the other way round. When a receiver knows where the call is coming from, her privacy is strengthened. She can decide whether to take the call or reject it.
When will the bill be presented to parliament?
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PM Modiji has emphasized that we should have extensive consultations because the new bill regulates the gateway to Digital India<\/a>. So, we are not rushing through it. A reasonable aim for passing the bill is the monsoon session. After that, we will come out with licensing reforms by September-October 2023.
Do you plan to reduce the levies while undertaking licensing reforms?
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Licensing reforms means significant simplification. Reducing taxes can’t be termed as reforms. Through reforms, we want to make the process smoother and transparent. Aim of reforms is to reduce litigation, encourage investment, promote innovation, and generate employment.
What is the main aim of the bill? Or how do you see the telecom industry in four-five years?
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PM Modiji wants India to emerge as a global leader in telecom technology. For that we need modern, globally benchmarked regulations. In three-four years from now, we will see India emerge as a major designer and manufacturer of telecom gear. Our 5G technology stack would compete with the best in the world. India’s IP rights will be part of 6G standards. Hundreds of startups will use the regulatory sandbox envisaged in the bill to come up with new solutions. Satellite communication services should become prevalent to reach far-flung rural areas. India would be designing and manufacturing chips used in the telecom sector. India is already among the top manufacturers of mobile phones. In three-four years, India will also emerge as a major designer of mobile phones.
What about the alternate dispute resolution mechanism? Some say it dilutes the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT)?
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Voluntary undertaking and alternate dispute resolution mechanism are two steps before going to TDSAT. Industry and government need to focus on innovation, investment and employment.
Are you bothered about the delay in rollout of 5G services?
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5G rollout is going on schedule. In phase 1, we aim to cover 200 cities by March 2023. By end of 2023, almost every district in the country would have 5G coverage. Telecom service providers are adding 2,500 5G BTSs (base transceiver stations) every week. It will soon ramp up to 10,000 a week; 163 phone models are now 5G enabled. Every week more models are getting enabled by the manufacturers through software upgrades. And BSNL<\/a> would also rollout 5G services by end of 2023. So, we will have extensive coverage of 5G services in coming 24 months.
What are your views on allocation of satellite spectrum--auction or not?
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We prefer a transparent auction process for natural resources. Also, we understand the challenges in auctioning spectrum for applications like satcom. Our view is that there cannot be one auction model for all applications. We can create several models of transparent auctions. However, if there is no way to auction, then we can consider administrative allocations.
Over the years, do you expect satcom services to compete with terrestrial services?
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The march of technology can give results which are unforeseen today. As a society, we should keep all options open. We saw how CDMA and GSMA competed and one of them won. Had we invested in only one technology, we would have lost the game.
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