India's telecom regulator (TRAI) is in favour of consolidating the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Department of Telecommunications (DoT), and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) under a single umbrella body to streamline governance in the rapidly converging digital ecosystem, BusinessLine reported, citing sources.
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Industry Voices Align with Consolidation Move
The proposal, which has also received backing from industry stakeholders, aims to address overlapping regulatory responsibilities, particularly in areas such as telecom services, app-based platforms, and over-the-top (OTT) content providers. The move is in line with global trends where several countries have adopted integrated frameworks to manage convergence across communication technologies.
"Other countries have also made similar moves toward convergence. It can help resolve some of the overlaps in these sectors," a top official from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) was quoted as saying in the report. This includes overlaps between telecom service providers and app-based platforms, as well as regulatory responsibility for OTT channels, among other issues.
Parliamentary Panel Recommends Unified Ministry
In March, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, in its eleventh report, recommended the formation of a unified ministry to enhance coordination and policymaking in light of technological convergence. It also proposed the creation of a Media Council to oversee all forms of media—print, broadcast, and digital—under a single regulatory structure to ensure coherent implementation of laws.
According to the report, industry associations, including the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), have endorsed the proposal, citing benefits such as focused handling of sectoral issues and the formulation of harmonised policies applicable across domains.
However, the broadcasting industry appears to have reservations about a converged policy framework. "With a converged regulator for ICT and broadcasting, there is always the risk of "false equivalence" being drawn between the two sectors… Telecommunication principles should never be applied when issues related to content are being determined," said an executive of a broadcast company, as mentioned in the report.
Fragmented Oversight Challenges Highlighted
The TRAI, in a 2023 discussion paper, had flagged governance challenges arising from disparate policy structures. It highlighted issues such as multiple licensing authorities for the same converged service, lack of clarity around OTT regulations, and fragmented administration of digital services.
As digital technologies continue to blur traditional boundaries between networks, services, and content, the call for a unified regulatory approach is gaining momentum. The government is expected to deliberate further on the matter, balancing the need for efficiency with sector-specific regulatory sensitivities.
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