New Delhi: The Department of Telecommunications (Point) aims to the regulations under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, within 100 days of the new government taking charge.
“We plan to announce the rules under various sections of the Telecommunications Act by September 15. The rules will streamline regulation regulatory framework and insurance compliance,” a person familiar with the details told ET. He added notification of rules is one of the key objectives of DoT's 100-day agenda.
The rules cover spectrum allocationincluded satellite communications, interception of calls and messages, as well as collecting biometric datafor which the processes need to be defined.
An important aspect is the biometric identification of a user, which is mandatory by law. According to experts, the rules should clearly specify the details so that customer data is not misused as multiple intermediaries may be involved in collecting and processing such sensitive information.
“Around 35 to 37 rules need to be defined for the law. It is a herculean task as rules need to be defined keeping in mind the change in technology,” an official said.
The rules will define the modalities around spectrum pricing for administrative allocation to services such as satellite communications, which is a sensitive and critical issue. The DOT will likely ask for input Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) on the satellite spectrum after seeking views from various stakeholders.
According to government officials, the spectrum administratively allocated to satellite services is intended only for point-to-point connections and not for direct transmission of services to private consumers. The rules are expected to define the exact conditions for the use of satellite spectrum. Companies like it Eutelsat Oneweb, Starlink, Amazon Kuiper and Reliance Jio Satellite will receive administrative spectrum as part of their global mobile personal communications through satellite services licensing.
Another official said it could also be possible that the original set of rules does not cover entire sections of the law, as it could take time for some rules to be finalized.
