The Internet and Mobile Association of India has said that it was appalled at the regression and denigration of the discussion around regulating the digital economy. Far from the government’s stated goal of creating a 1 trillion-dollar digital economy, part of the telecom infrastructure industry has sought to reignite discussions that threaten to erase the progress the Indian tech industry has achieved thus far.
The recently concluded consultation on the Draft Telecom Bill betrays either a wilful misinterpretation or a fundamental lack of understanding of how the digital economy works, IAMAI said.
An industry body representing the telecom infrastructure sector has championed the creation of revenue-sharing mechanisms for ‘Over the Top’ (OTT) Layer within the ambit of the Draft Telecom Bill.
IAMAI, in its letter to the DoT, expressed grave concern about the impact of these changes on India’s start-up ecosystem and the digital economy. It also sought to illustrate the success of the extant regulatory framework facilitated the creation of 100+ unicorns and 200+ billion dollars of growth, achievements which have enabled India to dream of a 1 trillion-dollar digital economy.
Considering this, IAMAI has recommended that the scope of telecommunication services be reviewed and be limited to only services which distribute spectrum in a utilisable form. The time-tested distinction between telecom spectrum-controlling entities and spectrum-using companies should be maintained as it has been the basis that has allowed innovation and deeper penetration of the internet in India.