TRAI Says No Regulatory Framework Needed for OTT Services
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Monday said over-the-top (OTT) communication services do not currently need a regulatory framework, casting aside the threat of potential restrictions on platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, and Google.
Telecoms firms in the country have long lobbied for regulation of apps that offer free voice and text services over the internet, arguing that such services erode their revenues.
“It is not an opportune moment to recommend a comprehensive regulatory framework for various aspects of services referred to as OTT services, beyond the extant laws and regulations prescribed presently,” the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) said in a statement.
TRAI also said no regulatory intervention was needed on issues related to privacy and security of OTT services.
Facebook, WhatsApp and Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Net neutrality activists welcomed the TRAI’s decision, but the telecoms industry lobby group, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), said the TRAI had not addressed issues such as regulatory imbalance and non-level playing field between telecoms service providers (TSPs) and OTT communication players.
“Without a resolution of these issues TSPs will continue to be at a disadvantageous position vis-à-vis OTT Communication Service Providers,” COAI director general S P Kochhar said in a statement.
© Thomson Reuters 2020
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Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Monday said over-the-top (OTT) communication services do not currently need a regulatory framework, casting aside the threat of potential restrictions on platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, and Google.
Telecoms firms in the country have long lobbied for regulation of apps that offer free voice and text services over the internet, arguing that such services erode their revenues.
“It is not an opportune moment to recommend a comprehensive regulatory framework for various aspects of services referred to as OTT services, beyond the extant laws and regulations prescribed presently,” the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) said in a statement.
TRAI also said no regulatory intervention was needed on issues related to privacy and security of OTT services.
Facebook, WhatsApp and Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Net neutrality activists welcomed the TRAI’s decision, but the telecoms industry lobby group, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), said the TRAI had not addressed issues such as regulatory imbalance and non-level playing field between telecoms service providers (TSPs) and OTT communication players.
“Without a resolution of these issues TSPs will continue to be at a disadvantageous position vis-à-vis OTT Communication Service Providers,” COAI director general S P Kochhar said in a statement.
© Thomson Reuters 2020
Is Android One holding back Nokia smartphones in India? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.
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