Govt may introduce draft Telecommunications Bill in Parliament this week

Officials say the draft bill has received cabinet clearance

The government may introduce the draft Telecommunications Bill in Parliament this week.

The draft received final clearance from the government at a Cabinet meeting attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, officials confirmed on Saturday.

Released by the department of telecommunications (DoT) in September last year, the Bill has been in the news for its ambitious overhauling of India’s telecom regulatory ecosystem. The Bill also talks about the regulation of privacy, competition in the sector, jobs and investment, consumer protection and technology.

Replacing three laws — namely the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1933, and the Telegraph Wires