TRAI urges for structured regulatory regime for OTTs
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti says OTTs should be subject to structured regulations as regulatory issues have been raised by law enforcement agencies and traditional communications providers.
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The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has urged for a structured regulation regime of over-the-top (OTT) communication platforms, including WhatsApp, Google Meet and Telegram, after security concerns raised by law enforcement.
This comes at a time when a section of the industry and telcos have already been pushing for regulating OTT communication apps under the Telecom Act, 2023. TRAI held an open house recently, where the divide among the telcos and OTT apps remained evident.
Speaking at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) on October 16, TRAI chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti said, "OTT communication services have benefited consumers and businesses, but certain regulatory issues have been raised by law enforcement agencies and traditional communications providers, and they should be subject to structured regulations."
On September 25, Lahoti mentioned putting the plan of regulating OTT communication apps on the backburner for a while, as the authority prioritised the process for satellite spectrum pricing.
At IMC, Lahoti also mentioned that regulators should maintain a balance between fostering innovation and ensuring a fair and competitive market, given the cross-border nature of OTT services.
On the sidelines of the World Telecom Standardisation Assembly (WTSA-24) and IMC in New Delhi, TRAI also held an International Conference of Telecom Regulators conference on October 16.
One of the sessions at the conference discussed the “Regulatory Outlook of OTT Communication Services” and addressed some complex regulatory issues pertaining to OTT communication services. Key points discussed in this session were the need for OTT regulation, consumer protection issues, and law enforcement and national security issues.
Read more: COAI asserts OTT apps like WhatsApp fall under Telecom Act citing 'national security' reasons
It is to be noted that telcos for long have been raising concerns over the increase of spam on OTT platforms, which is not regulated by either the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) or TRAI.
Telecom operators including Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea have urged the Centre to have the apps comply with rules in the same manner as all service providers do.
Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) recently said that excluding OTT communication apps from the Telecommunications Act 2023 is misleading.
"COAI would like to state that the 'Security of the Country' is of utmost importance and in this regard, all communication service providers, including OTT-based communication services, should adhere to the requisite directives of the country as done by the Telecom Service Providers," COAI director General SP Kochhar said in August.
At present, any action on OTT platforms can be taken only by the Ministry of Electronics and IT under the IT Act.
DoT, however, has clarified that it has no intention to regulate OTT communication players such as WhatsApp and Telegram.
