Re-dialling reform: Implementation holds the key to the new telecom policy

The government has not been able to release spectrum optimally, and auctions have seen lukewarm responses due to high reserve prices

The draft National Digital Communications Policy lays out an ambitious vision for digital communications. The draft sets the following targets for the year 2022: Provisioning of broadband for all; creating 4 million additional jobs in digital communications; enhancing the contribution of the sector to 8 per cent of India's GDP (from around 6 per cent in 2017); propelling India to the top 50 nations in the Information and Communication Technologies Development Index from a lowly 134 in 2017; and ensuring digital sovereignty. The needs of consumers will be addressed by appointing a new telecom ombudsman and setting up a web-based