Telecom Bill consumer-centric, pro-investor; clarifies on key issues: BIF

Broadband India Forum (BIF) on Wednesday said the new telecom bill brings clarity on a slew of important issues facing the sector, including the regulator's power and functions, protection and duties of telecom users, and exclusion of OTTs from the purview of telecom regulations.

In a statement, the industry body said its executive council, at its recent meeting, praised the bill, and termed it a historic milestone and extremely progressive.

The bill, BIF said, is consumer-centric and investor-friendly, and will propel the growth of the sector.

BIF said the bill brings in clarity on a plethora of key issues, including Trai's power and functions, protection and duties of telecom users and clarity in definition of telecommunication services.

There is also clarity on issues such as exclusion of OTTs from the purview of telecom regulations, administrative allocation of satellite spectrum and certain other types of spectrum, right of way issues, spurring of Universal Service and Innovation/R&D through a Digital Bharat Nidhi and Regulatory Sandbox, BIF said citing its executive council's unanimously adopted resolution on the bill.

It noted that the new Telecom Bill is progressive and consolidates different laws of 1885, 1933, and 1950, to further catalyse this rapidly growing technological age.

The BIF executive council's believes that the landmark Bill will help achieve increased acceleration of internet/broadband penetration and provide a huge impetus to the growth of the digital economy.

It will yield many consumer benefits, besides boosting investor confidence and fetching billions of dollars of FDI in the digital sector.

Further, it would help incentivise the exponential growth of space startups segment -- which already has 189 startups -- thereby boosting India's space mission.

"The EC was of the view that this was a historic milestone in the annals of Indian Telecom and truly a giant leap forward for the Bharat Digital Economy," it said.

BIF President T V Ramachandran said the Indian Telecommunications Bill 2023 will serve as a strong enabler for the larger digital ecosystem and, in particular, the innovative OTT apps and satellite sectors in the country.

It seeks to address several inhibiting issues and would lead to tremendous boost to investor confidence, thereby causing a quantum jump in the growth of the sector, he said.