Trai to Address OTT App Regulation Separately; Put Satcom Spectrum Framework on Priority

Nitin Konde, Apoorva Bajj

Sep 26, 2024 — 3 min read

Trai to Address OTT App Regulation Separately; Put Satcom Spectrum Framework on Priority

The chairman of telecom regulator Trai stated on 25 September 2024 that the agency will move quickly to accelerate the pricing of satellite spectrum before addressing the matter of regulating over-the-top apps such as Google Meet, Telegram, and WhatsApp. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) Chairman RC Lahoti announced that a consultation document on satellite spectrum pricing will be released in the coming days.

This document (Service Authorization Framework under Telecommunications Act 2023) did not include OTT. It is being covered in different conversations. According to Lahoti, TRAI has to address spectrum prices immediately. He declared that Trai would investigate whether the Telecommunications Act of 2023 should apply to OTT apps or not.

Telecom Operators’ Concerns

The latest recommendation from Trai on a new regime, which calls for allowing the deployment of telecom services using single authorization rather than a license, which was the standard under the previous regime, has alarmed telecom companies.

According to Lahoti, Trai has just suggested the structure for service provisioning that should be put into place under the Telecommunications Act of 2023. The entire staff at TRAI was working on this enormous task of suggesting a new framework. According to Lahoti, the regulatory body will now begin developing suggestions for spectrum pricing. The new structure, according to Trai Principal Advisor SB Singh, makes it easier to follow the guidelines for providing services at a lower cost.

In contrast to the previous system, he added, service providers would only require a single authorization for their offerings, and their compliance would be restricted to those services.

Introduction of Three Broad Categories Telecommunication Service Authorisations

Three general categories of communications service authorizations were suggested by the regulator on September 18: primary service authorizations, auxiliary service authorizations, and captive service authorizations. After releasing recommendations on the "Framework for Service Authorisations to be Granted Under the Telecommunications Act, 2023," Trai announced that "Unified Service Authorisation" has been introduced under the new authorization framework to achieve the goal of "One Nation - One Authorisation" across services and service areas.

Trai stated that rather than signing a contract with the organization, the government ought to authorize services under the new Telecommunications Act, of 2023. The admission charge for service authorization has been lowered by the regulator. Currently, there is no suggested timeline for service providers to transition to the new framework. It's entirely optional. According to Lahoti, they are still able to operate under their current licenses.

About Trai

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) was established on 20th February 1997 by an Act of Parliament known as the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997. Its primary responsibility is to regulate telecommunications services, which were previously held by the Central Government. This includes the fixation/revision of tariffs. The goal of TRAI is to foster the development of the nation's telecommunications industry so that it can expand quickly enough to allow India to take the lead in the developing global information society.