Services Offered by OTT Players Should Not Be Compared With Telecom Operators: Broadband India Forum

Over-the-top (OTT) services providers should not be subject to a fresh set of regulations as their services are “not comparable” to that provided by telecom operators, Broadband India Forum President T V Ramachandran said Monday. Telecom service providers enjoy “specific rights and privileges” including interference-free spectrum and interconnection, none of which is available to OTT players, and hence the two services cannot be compared, Ramachandran said. Any move, therefore, to impose new regulations on OTT players would only end up curtailing innovation, he added.

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“I would recommend the continuance of status quo as far as OTTs are concerned and, concurrently, I would recommend a reduction of levies for telcos,” Ramachandran told PTI.

The comments of BIF, which counts Google and Facebook among its members, come at a time when the telecom regulator has set the ball rolling on exploring a regulatory framework for over-the-top apps that provide calling and messaging services similar to that by operators.

Put simply, OTT refers to applications and services that are accessible over the Internet and ride on an operator’s network. Skype, Viber, WhatsApp and Hike are some examples of popular and widely-used OTT services.

The sector regulator’s freshly-minted consultation paper seeks public opinion on whether the same rules should be prescribed for OTT applications like WhatsApp, Facebook and Google Duo, as are applicable to telecom operators. “Telcos have got four special rights and privileges which are not available to OTTs. These include the right of way, interconnection, numbering and interference-free spectrum. Telecom operators are carriers with their basket of rights and services,” Ramachandran said.