Rajya Sabha passes Telecom Bill

After Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha on Thursday passed The Telecommunications Bill, 2023 by voice vote. The bill seeks to simplify procedural and structural processes around spectrum, licensing, right of way, and dispute resolution in the sector. A major change is that the government has moved from licensing to authorisation for various services, a practice which is prevalent in most developed economies.

The opposition members who participated in the discussions presented their arguments in favor of the bill, but sought clarifications from the government on how the interception of messages will be carried out, what will be the division of powers between state and central government with regard to interception,