OTTs not to be regulated as telecom services

New Delhi: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has removed over-the-top (OTT) players, or apps, from the definition of telecommunication services in the Telecom Bill, giving huge relief to communication service providers such as WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram, which will thus remain out of telecom regulation.

The DoT believes that the existing definition under the Indian Telegraph Act is good enough and there is no need to specifically put OTT in the new Bill. “We (DoT) don’t have any intent to regulate OTT. No revenue share, nothing at all,” said an official, asking not to be named.