Bharti Airtel’s MD & CEO Gopal Vittal congratulates the Government of India for passing the progressive and forward-looking Telecommunications Bill 2023 tabled in Lok Sabha. “I would like to warmly compliment the Government for introducing a progressive and forward-looking Telecommunications Bill in the Parliament. The bill suggests groundbreaking reforms by streamlining India’s licensing landscape. It aims to simplify the current convoluted system, which includes various types of licensing (license, registration, permission), into a more cohesive and efficient authorization-based regime.
The seminal spectrum reforms initiated in 2021 eliminated SUC for future spectrum assignments and provided the option of moratorium of past spectrum dues and annual spectrum roadmap. These reforms have no gained further momentum under the proposed Telecommunications Bill 2023. The proposed legislation ensures predictability and availability of spectrum covering aspects such as refarming, harmonization and trading/leasing/sharing. This will lead to the creation of a robust digital infrastructure and increased penetration of services thereby benefitting every Indian.
The proposed reform on RoW is yet another seminal move that is set to accelerate the rollout of telecom infrastructure including 5G in the country. This move will provide the necessary enforceability of Central RoW rules at the local level. Provisions related to public and private property; common ducts further instill confidence in the industry for faster rollout.
Another pivotal reform involves the restructuring of penalties, as the government simplifies the penalty framework regime under the proposed Bill. This will be achieved through a tiered system of graded penalties proportionate to the breach. The introduction of a voluntary undertaking and an appeal process within the Government aims to mitigate litigations thereby promoting more efficient resolution of disputes.
The Government has rightfully retained oversight of telecom networks from a sovereign security perspective, a requirement integral to India’s telecom licenses over the last two decades.”