Today The Telecommunication Bill, 2023 was introduced in Parliament. This note aims to meticulously analyze the bill’s key provisions and evaluate their potential impact on the telecom sector. In this analysis, we will concentrate specifically on the most contentious issues currently facing the Indian telecom sector, exploring how the proposed bill addresses each of these challenges. Therefore, let’s systematically examine these issues one by one.
Licensing of OTT
In the revised version of the Telecom Bill, there is a noticeable shift in the approach to licensing Over-The-Top (OTT) services compared to the earlier 2022 draft. Previously, OTT was explicitly categorized under “telecommunication services.” In contrast, the revised bill opts for a more inclusive approach, encapsulating OTT within a broader definition of telecommunication. This broader definition, as outlined in section 2(p) of the act, is provided here for reference:
