New Telecom Bill excludes OTT services

On Monday, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology unveiled a revised Telecom Bill in Parliament, putting forth a proposal to exclude OTT services from being categorized as telecom services. Unlike previous drafts that encompassed OTT services within the broader definition of specialized communication services, including machine-to-machine communication, in-flight connectivity, and maritime communication, the current bill separates OTT services such as WhatsApp and Skype from the telecom services category.

Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw emphasized the ministry's intent to establish a "light-touch" regulatory framework for OTT applications. The bill grants the government the authority to assume control, manage, or suspend telecommunication services or networks for national security reasons.
The new bill empowers the government to waive entry fees, license fees, penalties, etc., to safeguard consumer interests, promote market competition, ensure the availability and continuity of telecom networks, and uphold national security.

According to reports, the draft legislation opens avenues for the government to allocate satellite spectrum while retaining the regulatory powers bestowed upon India's telecom regulator. Notably, the bill adds satellite spectrum to the list of sectors where the government possesses administrative authority to allocate spectrum.

The draft bill acknowledges satellite spectrum as a portion of the radio spectrum that becomes accessible when satellites are deployed into orbit.