Draft Telecom Bill proposes fee, penalty waiver, OTT regulation

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) on September 21 released the draft Indian Telecommunications 2022 Bill, under which it has proposed a provision to waive off fees and penalties of telecom and internet service providers.

The much-anticipated draft Bill after formalisation into an Act of Parliament will govern the sector.

The last date for public comment on the draft Bill is October 20.

The telecom ministry has proposed a provision for refund of fees in case a telecom or internet provider surrenders his license.

According to the draft, the central government may, “waive in part or full any fee, including entry fees, license fees, registrations fees or any other fees or charges, interest, additional charges or penalty” for any licence holder or registered entity under the telecom rules.

OTT regulation
The govt has enlarged the definition of telecommunication services to bring – over-the-top (OTT) services, satellite-based communication services, internet-based communication services, in-flight and maritime connectivity services, interpersonal communications services, and machine-to-machine communication services – under the ambit of the proposed law.

The draft Bill mandates OTT platforms such as Whatsapp to obtain a licence from the government. Money Control