Calling for regulation only of communication OTTs, need compensation: COAI

Asserts that OTTs ride on telcs' network infra without paying fees while consuming huge amounts of bandwidth

Industry body for telecom service providers, Cellular Operators Association of India, has clarified it has recommended regulations only for communication OTTs to the government, not for all OTTs that use mobile data to communicate with their customers such as Zomato, or Ola. However, it has called for being directly compensated by communication OTTs.

Alternatively, OTT Communication Service Providers can pay directly to the telcos for using their network (by way of an equivalent of network access charge) for the actual traffic carried by these OTTs on the telcos' networks, COAI Director General S P Kochhar said. However, he added that in