Union telecom and IT minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw tabled the telecom bill 2023 in Lok Sabha on Monday. The bill addresses the evolving technology environment and replaces outdated policies. The telecom and tech industry has hailed the telecom bill 2023 presented by Ashwini Vaishnaw in the Lok Sabha. One key answer that the bill offers is related to the spectrum allocation for satcom (satellite communication) companies. Resolving the confusion, the government has made it clear that auctioning is not the right way to provide spectrum for satellite telephony services, instead, it can be administratively allocated to the satcom companies. This is what the satcom players wanted.
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The Indian government has further renamed the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) as Digital Bharat Nidhi under the bill. The bill also says that the central government will hold the power to prescribe standards and assessments for telecom equipment, infrastructure, networks and services.
Let's take a look at what the industry is saying about the new telecom bill 2023.
The infrastructure providers are happy with the announcement. Digital Infrastructure Providers Association (DIPA), which represents some of the largest players such as Indus Towers, STL, and more applauded the new telecom bill. The association is happy that the government has looked after the uniformity of RoW (right of way) across states and also reduced tax burden on the digital infrastructure.
DIPA said, "The provisions in the bill will bring uniformity across states in terms of Right of Way (RoW) rules and regulations, along with rates. They will also address long-standing issues for telecom infrastructure providers, including capping of charges, deemed approval, and deployment of telecom infrastructure on private property."
The tech and internet bodies are happy that OTT (over-the-top) players have been excluded from the purview of telecom regulation. The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) had recommended to exclude OTT from being regulated, and the government heard it. IAMAI said, "the Bill introduced in the Lok Sabha now excludes email, internet-based communication services, broadcasting services, machine to machine communication services and over-the-top (OTT) communication services."
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The Indian Space Association (ISpA) is also pretty happy about the telecom bill 2023. The body had recommended the assignment of spectrum through an administrative basis, and that is exactly what the government plans to do. ISpA said, "This decision to allocate the satellite spectrum through a globally harmonized administrative method will pose a greater good for the nation and will spur growth in the nascent space sector, foster healthy competition, and ensure a level playing field for all stakeholders involved."
