To begin the process of establishing a new telecom infrastructure in India, the Department of Information and communications has launched the Telecommunications Bill 2022. The Telegraph Wires (Unlawful Protection) Law, of 1950 is a relic of the colonial era and is intended to be replaced by this Bill, which intends to merge & replace the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 as well as the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1933.
The primary benefits of this bill lie in its stated goal of facilitating the growth of telecommunications infrastructure & enhancing the quality of that growth. The goal of creating a regulatory “sandbox” to facilitate new ideas is admirable, as is the plan to encourage the leasing, selling, and general pooling of spectrum resources for any number of purposes.
Ashish Aggarwal, Vice President, of Public Policy, NASSCOM, made the following comment about the new Telecommunication Bill, 2022: “Given that the Bill leaves a lot to be covered through the regulations, it should formalize the concept of risk-based obligations and a consultation based, transparent and responsive, regulation-making process.” It could be used as a reference for crafting rules for various licenses. In the area of innovation-rich value-added service, a final Bill must seek to reduce burdensome regulations, ambiguity, and duplications with existing legislation. This is going to be crucial for small and medium-sized businesses online. We have completed our industry-wide in-house discussions and are ready to offer our final feedback.
Our hope is that thorough and open dialogue with those affected by the Bill will result in improvements that will make it more effective. Building a framework that encourages regulatory stability, investment, & innovation in the telecom sector requires a Telecommunications Bill that is prepared for the future.
