The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released a Consultation Paper on ‘Regulatory Mechanism for Over The-Top (OTT) Communication Services, and Selective Banning of OTT Services’ on July 7. The last date for receiving written comments on the issues raised in the Consultation Paper from stakeholders was fixed as August 4 and for counter comments by August 18.
After stakeholders requested for an extension of time for submitting comments, the last date for submission of written comments and counter comments was extended and revised to August 18 and September 1, and thereafter re-revised to September 1 and September 15 respectively.
Upon deliberation of the industry stakeholders’ request to extend the date for submission of counter comments, the TRAI decided to extend the last date for submission to September 29.
Industry associations, civil society groups, and consumer organizations had earlier joined forces to express their reservations regarding the consultation paper released by the TRAI concerning the regulation of over-the-top (OTT) communication services and the potential selective banning of certain OTT services.
In their submission, the Broadband India Forum (BIF) highlighted the positive impact of OTTs on India’s app economy and firmly asserts that the current regulatory framework, including the IT Act of 2000 and related legislation, adequately regulates OTT services.
BIF’s recommendation is rooted in the belief that the existing regulatory environment has played a pivotal role in fostering the robust growth of India’s app economy, contributing to one of the world’s highest annual app download rates. According to them, introducing new regulatory frameworks could disrupt the current competitive landscape and jeopardize both consumer advantages and innovative developments.