Cloud services firms to resist Trai move to impose new rules

Some of the world’s largest cloud service providers, including Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, Microsoft, VMWare and IBM, are grouping together to protest against what they view as an attempt by India’s telecom regulator to increase government oversight on the sector.

Later this week, the cloud companies plan to petition the department of telecom (DoT) through industry groupings — Nasscom and Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) — protesting against the recommendations released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), two weeks ago. According to the proposed rules, cloud companies will also be required to join a new industry body to be set up under the aegis of the DoT, which will be steered by government officials and nominated industry experts. Telecom companies will not be allowed to provide any infrastructure to any cloud service provider who declines to join the new grouping.