New govt has opportunity to bring changes in telecom: PwC

Clarification of the merger and acquisition norms will facilitate more deals and fuel more investment, the consultancy says

Following the BJP's landslide victory in the Lok Sabha election, global consultancy firm PwC has suggested three key areas in the telecom sector which the new government should look at in the first 100 days in office.

"The overall majority provides an opportunity to ring in some new tunes for the flagging telecom industry. Now there is a chance to inject fresh momentum into the sector. There are three areas that the new government will have to take up for consideration in the first 100 days," PwC India telecom leader Mohammad Chowdhury said.

As the rural penetration of mobile connectivity is well below 50%, the Narendra Modi government should take a fresh look at encouraging the industry to put more money into rural network expansion and to use up unutilised USO funds, he said.

Clarification of the merger and acquisition norms will facilitate more deals and fuel more investment, Chowdhury added.

Currency stability will help foreign investors and there is an opportunity now to treat all investors fairly and to show no tolerance to corruption, he added.

Though the domestic telcos lead in analytics and pricing, they lack the ingenuity and achievement when it comes to the innovation that could serve a nation that's still in need of better communication, he said.

India needs a new science and education policy that encourages innovation in the telecom space, besides technology and IT, Chowdhury added.