View: In defence of free telecom markets. Or, how to make Indian telecom competitive while offering cheap services

Competition in telecom markets has worked wonders in expanding access to telephony and internet data services globally. Indian consumers enjoy some of the world’s cheapest services choosing between telecom operators (“telcos”) who, in turn, can buy equipment from global and Indian vendors. While we do not yet have affordable nationwide broadband, the benefits of competitive telecom markets are unmistakable.

However, competition is reducing. Consumers have fewer service providers since the entry of Jio in 2016. Only three incumbents – Airtel, Vodafone Idea (VI) and BSNL – remain in the market. With the last two struggling to stay afloat, competition could decline further.