Telecom operators’ physique COAI on November 22 made a powerful pitch for OTT (over-the-top) communication companies to immediately compensate telcos for information visitors they’re driving onto the networks, because it advocated a licensing and light-touch regulation framework for such companies.
Cellular Operators’ Association of India (COAI) Director General S.P. Kochhar mentioned the affiliation, as a part of the draft telecom invoice, has given its solutions on how OTT communication companies ought to be outlined to make sure there is no such thing as a ambiguity.
Other features like actual monetary mannequin for OTT communication companies to compensate telecom service suppliers can be made to the federal government going ahead as and when the nuances of framework for light-touch regulation is mentioned, Mr. Kochhar instructed reporters at a briefing.
OTT communication companies embrace the likes of WhatsApp, Signal, Google Meet, Telegram and different comparable apps.
In future, the identical precept of income share foundation information consumption will be utilized to different OTTs (all classes) as effectively, he added. For now, COAI’s solutions are confined to the realm of OTT communication apps, not your complete ecosystem, for the reason that draft invoice mentions communication apps.
Also Read | COAI for bringing all OTT gamers underneath regulation
COAI maintained that KYC is a vital requirement, be it for telcos or OTT communication companies.
Industry our bodies COAI and Broadband India Forum (BIF) had been locked in a pitched battle on the difficulty of therapy of OTTs whereas consultations on the draft telecom invoice was underway.
The telecom service suppliers, underneath the aegis of COAI, have been pushing for OTT communication companies to be introduced underneath regulation. COAI has been propagating ‘identical service identical guidelines’ for OTT communication companies and telcos, to make sure a degree enjoying area.
On the opposite hand, digital think-tank BIF — which counts tech corporations resembling Tata Consultancy Services, Cisco, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Facebook-owner Meta as its key members — has warned that the regulation of OTT gamers may stifle the socioeconomic ecosystem and harm innovation.
COAI, in a notice outlining the current submissions on the draft telecom invoice, mentioned: “The OTTs providing telecom services similar to telcos such as voice/video calling and messaging within the meaning of telecom Bill… be defined clearly, and the same regulatory and security obligations to be met by them as done by TSPs for providing similar services.”
Alternatively, it mentioned, OTT communication service suppliers will pay on to the telcos to be used of their networks for offering companies “in a fair and equitable manner by way of an equivalent interconnect charge [say network access charge] for the actual traffic carried by these OTTs on TSPs network, which can be easily measured.”
The contribution of OTTs to community prices will be primarily based on assessable standards resembling quantity of visitors, turnover threshold and variety of customers, amongst others.
COAI cited a report which estimated that 56% of the worldwide information visitors on telcos’ community is from main OTTs. The affiliation additionally went on to recommend that OTT contribution to exchequer, if a levy is put in place, may very well be about Rs 800 crore.
“Since the telecom service providers will be receiving the revenue from OTTs as part of their telecom services rendered, they would automatically be paying licence fee to the Government [as part of TSP’s Adjusted Gross Revenue] on an incremental basis to the extent of the payments by OTTs to the TSPs,” COAI mentioned.
Other main suggestions of COAI — whose members embrace Reliance jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea — embrace discount of licence payment from 3% to 1%, a transfer the affiliation says will be certain that extra funds can be found to gamers for rollout of networks. The suggestion on reducing of levies can also be a part of COAI’s pre-Budget wishlist to the federal government.
COAI additional mentioned web shutdowns not solely have an effect on telcos’ Average Revenue Per User, but additionally the patron base.
“Non commercial infrastructure is also required to be set up by the telecom service providers in this regard, costing them. Reimbursement for the same to be considered by the Government,” COAI has prompt. There ought to be commonplace working procedures spelt out for such actions and accountability for a similar should lie with the officers initiating or supervising such actions, it famous.
Beside this, it mentioned, contributions in the direction of the Telecom Development Fund ought to be met from budgetary allocation and from quantities collected by spectrum auctions as additionally “from contribution from entities that cause the traffic, that is, OTTs — streaming, gaming and social media companies”.
So far as safety of customers is worried, the “Bill may be extended to cover cyber or financial fraud or unsolicited commercial communications and may include a proviso to align the powers of Telecom Department on this issue with TRAI. Ideally there should be only one body regulating the issue,” COAI mentioned.
The draft telecom invoice seeks to switch three legal guidelines — the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1933 and the Telegraph Wires (Unlawful Possession) Act, 1950.
The invoice proposes all web calling and messaging apps to adjust to the Know Your Customer (KYC) provisions after they come underneath the telecom regulation ambit.
The telecom division has additionally mooted a provision for the refund of charges in case a telecom or web supplier surrenders its licence.
Source: www.thehindu.com