OTT apps: COAI bats for 'same service, same rules' under draft telecom Bill

Industry body argues for 'same service, same rules', says current disparities give OTT players privileges but not responsibilities

Arguing that there is a need to enforce the principle of ‘same service, same rules’ in the telecom industry, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) came out in support of the government’s move to bring over-the-top (OTT) communication service providers under the ambit of the telecom Bill.

The COAI – which has all three private telecom service providers (TSPs) Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea as its members – said on Tuesday that while adoption of new technologies and services by various players in the ecosystem was welcomed, regulatory conditions and treatment must be made uniformly applicable for