The Indian Telegraph Act of 1885, the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act of 1933, as well as the Telegraph Wires (Unlawful Possession) Act of 1950, are the three statutes that the bill wants to replace. According to the Union Minister, the new telecom law should be in effect within six to ten months.

According to today’s comments from communications minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the government is not in a rush and the new telecom bill is anticipated to be in place in six to ten months.

Mr. Vaishnaw responded that using the feedback they get, they will draught the final version. He added that the Parliament’s committee processes will subsequently be applied to that text and then it must be submitted to Parliament. He said he estimates a timescale of 6 to 10 months but they are not pressurizing things whenever asked about an implementation schedule for the final measure.

The Department of Telecommunications has created and established 20^th of October to be the due date for the draught bill.

The Indian Telegraph Act of 1885, the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act of 1933, as well as the Telegraph Wires (Unlawful Possession) Act of 1950, are the three statutes that the bill wants to replace.

However, the bill allows for a continuation of acts taken by the laws that were repealed to provide a seamless transition into the new framework as well as prevent any potential interruption. 

It also stipulates that regulations established under the laws which were abolished would remain in effect until new regulations were created.

What is Bill’s purpose?

• Effective but minimal regulation
• Regulatory assurance
• Strong row mechanism
• User protection
• Fostering employment plus innovation

The receiver will be able to view the caller’s identity under the proposed legislation. Thus, fraud will be avoided.

What the draught Telecom Bill entails and what are the changes it seeks to implement?

Why did the government release a draught of the telecom bill? What are a few of the main changes to the telecom legislation now in effect? Would the proposed Telecom Bill aim to address problems facing the telecom sector as well?

What are a few of the main changes to the telecom legislation now in effect?

One of the most significant changes is the addition of modern over-the-top messaging apps like Signal, WhatsApp, and Telegram to the list of communications services.

According to the draught law, telecom service providers will be subject to the same regulations as other telecom operators and fall under the licencing regime. Since operators had to pay hefty licence and spectrum costs while OTT companies rode on their infrastructure to deliver services for free, telecom service providers have been fighting to create a level playing field with OTT apps for communication services like voice calls, messaging, etc.

Has the administration considered expanding its authority in any other areas?

To lessen the sector watchdog’s role as a recommendatory agency, the Centre is also aiming to alter the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act (TRAI Act). The telecom department is required by the existing TRAI Act to consult the regulator before awarding a service provider a fresh licence. This clause is removed from the Draft Bill. The clause that allowed TRAI to ask the government for the data or papers needed to make this suggestion has also been eliminated. The new Bill also seeks to do away with the need that the DoT to refer back proposals for review by TRAI if it is unable to accept them or if they need to be modified.