Network usage charge for OTTs in the offing; communication-based apps to come under regulation

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is working on a proposal to bring communication-based apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Skype, Facetime, etc. under some form of regulation, where they pay an interconnect usage charge (IUC) to telecom operators for using their networks. A token, one-time licence/registration fee may also be levied on such operators. However, it’s not clear at this stage whether such apps would need to pay a licence fee on a recurring basis as a percentage of their adjusted gross revenue (AGR).