Abstract

This IDC Market Note discusses India's draft Telecommunication Bill 2022, which aims to update the extant regulatory framework to keep up with the technological advancements and address the challenges facing the sector. The reform is needed because the three main legislations that are used to regulate the sector are considerably outdated, with the most recent of these having been enacted more than 70 years ago.

"There are definitely some positive steps taken in the draft bill, particularly the right of way issues, user protection, and simplification of insolvency and restructuring procedures," says Nishant Bansal, senior research manager, IDC Asia/Pacific. "However, there are also some contentious issues in the bill, such as the regulation of over-the-top communication platforms, greater centralization of powers with the government, and erosion of user privacy safeguards, which probably need some fine-tuning before the bill is enacted," he adds.

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