Incoming call: On the introduction of the Telecommunications Bill, 2023
Regulation of Internet world must address privacy concerns and simplify procedures
The introduction of the Telecommunications Bill, 2023, inches closer to achieving the Union government’s long-standing aim of consolidating the law for wireless networks and Internet service providers, with a 46-page statute that leaves existing regulatory structures largely intact, while simplifying bureaucratic procedures such as applying for licences and permits for telecom operators. Licensing processes are set to be digitised, and telecom operators will have a new way of dealing with non-compliance with their licence terms, while also having access to district- and State-level authorities for permissions and dispute resolution when setting up their equipment and optical fiber networks on public and private properties. The Bill also lets the satellite Internet industry — long touted as a way for at least some remote areas to get net connectivity — breathe a sigh of relief, as there is clarity that it will not need to bid for spectrum, thus putting India on similar footing with other countries. The Bill has been welcomed by industry bodies for streamlining their regulatory landscape and promoting their ease of doing business, and could possibly give the much-needed regulatory stability and enabling environment for the next phase of telecom expansion. Over half of India’s population is on the margins of the connected world, and the Bill could help.