Government considering proposal to issue import licenses for broadband equipment

The central government may include a slew of tech products used in fiber-based home broadband networks under an import licensing regime to boost domestic manufacturing of telecom gear and reduce dependence on imports, mirroring recent moves on the import of IT hardware. The department of telecom is examining a proposal to usher in such a regime.

Why it’s important: The proposed move has alarmed industry, which says this could home broadband services costlier, degrade quality and lead to challenges that could disrupt the expansion of fiber-based home broadband networks by Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel. Moneycontrol