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The legislation is meant to protect and benefit the consumers, Union telecom minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had stressed during its drafting stage. Here's a look at how this bill intends to achieve the objective.
Once voted into law, the Telecom Bill 2023 will replace three laws—the Indian Telegraph Act of 1885, the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1933, and the Telegraph Wires (Unlawful Possession) Act, 1950. It will also amend the TRAI Act, 1997, without diluting the regulator’s powers.
The Telecommunications Bill 2023, which has been tabled in Parliament, excludes over-the-top services, such as online messaging and streaming services, from its purview.
There is disparity between the telecom service providers and OTT players, particularly Large Traffic Generator OTTs. While TSPs invest in building and maintaining extensive networks, LTG OTTs generate disproportionately high traffic without contributing to network expenses
The consultation paper will also look into the definition of OTT, class of OTTs, demands of a level playing field with telcos, and existing international practices, among others, they said.