Govt’s plan to bring OTT platforms under licensing regime faces criticism

NEW DELHI: The draft Telecom Bill that promises to bring in far reaching changes in the telecom sector has not been taken favourably by all. Some analysts and think-tanks have raised concern over some of the proposals of the Bill.

The Broadband India Forum (BIF), a think-tank that works on development of the ‘broadband ecosystem’, on Friday said the implication of draft Indian Telecommunications Bill 2022 would take the country back to the pre-1997 era as it aims to take away the statutory independence of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The forum, which has members like Cisco and Facebook, said that the proposed provisions to take away TRAI’s statutory independence, will reduce the authority to one with limited role and powers.