deadline for comments on the draught Indian Telecommunication Bill is extended by the DoT
- It states that a licence will be necessary to set up a telecom network.
- Indian Telegraph Act serves as the foundation for the current telecom regulatory structure.
- India requires a legal system that is responsive to 21st-century realities.
According to the Ministry of Communication, public and stakeholder comments on the draught of the Indian Telecommunication Bill, 2022 are now being accepted till November 20 of this year. On September 21, this Ministry posted the draught Indian Telecommunication Bill, 2022 along with an Explanatory Note to the DoT website.
By November 10, 2022, the general public, various stakeholders, and industry associations were invited to comment '. The Ministry of Communication released a statement. In response to demands from numerous stakeholders, the statement reads, 'The Ministry has decided to further extend the time for reception of comments until November 20.'
On October 28, the IT panel held its first meeting with the Indian Telecommunications Bill, 2022, as the main item on the agenda. This was a ground-breaking initiative by Pratap Jadhav, the newly appointed chairman of the IT Committee.
A Bill has never before been studied in a Committee before being submitted in Parliament, according to sources. Currently in the draught stage, the measure is open to public feedback.
The Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Telecommunications and other high officials gave testimony before the panel. A full breakdown of the Bill's features was provided before to the meeting. MPs questioned the authorities about the Bill's provisions relating to VoIP and VPN usage.
The Bill amends the TRAI Act, 1997 to do away with the requirement that the central government seek opinion from TRAI regarding licencing. As a result, decisions regarding licences for the telecom industry may not involve the TRAI. The appropriateness of this was questioned by MPs. Licensing is one of the regulator's main duties in sectors like finance and power. Both the TRAI Act and the Bill define 'telecommunication services' differently.
The Bill's definition is broader and covers services like broadcasting, machine-to-machine communication, internal-based communication, and Al communication. MPs inquire about the possibility of TRAI regulation of these additional services. To harmonise these definitions, the TRAI Act might need to be changed.
According to the Bill, establishing a telecommunications network and providing telecommunications infrastructure will both require a licence and registration, respectively.
As stated in the definition, telecommunication networks, however, may only consist of telecommunication infrastructure. It was questioned if a licence or registration would be necessary to provide telecommunications infrastructure.