Extant rules choke growth, telecom bill needs review: Broadband India Forum

Forum also believes the bill also weakens role of telecom regulator, makes it subservient to govt

Telecom
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The draft bill has proposed to expand the definition of telecom services to include over-the-top platforms such as WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram and Google Meet

Aneesh Phadnis Mumbai
Broadband India Forum has sought a critical review of the draft telecommunications bill as the current provisions will “stifle innovation and affect investor sentiment.”

The BIF, which represents IT companies and tech giants, also believes that the bill also weakens the role of the telecom sector regulator and makes it subservient to the government.

T V Ramachandran, president, Broadband India Forum said “Some of the provisions of the draft Indian Telecommunications Bill 2022 unfortunately appear to be prohibitive rather than facilitating or enabling for the larger digital ecosystem in the country. The provisions seem to take us back to the pre-1997 era by diluting powers of the regulator. This could lead to the damage of investor confidence and undermining of

First Published: Sep 23 2022 | 8:51 PM IST

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