The operators also called for a spectrum policy to make the industry aware in advance about the auction of frequency bands
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) on Tuesday met all telecom operators to understand and frame the issues for consideration this year.
In the meeting, telecom players raised many issues including app-based calling, regulation of over the top (OTT) players, rationalisation of taxes and other issues such as unsolicited commercial calls.
“We had a very fruitful discussion with industry players. They were unanimous on some of the issues that Trai should deal with in this year like OTT (over-the-top) consultation, one country one licence, infrastructure-related issues, rationalisation of taxes under goods and service tax... There were six-seven issues that they want the regulator to look into,” said R S Sharma, chairman, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, after the meeting.
The operators also called for a spectrum policy to make the industry aware in advance about the auction of frequency bands. “They will give us details of the issues in a couple of days after which Trai will be able to share specific roadmap,” Sharma said.
Trai will publish a report on call drops data under the new quality of service norms by the end of this month.
Sharma said telecom is a big enabler for the industry in the country and forms the basic infrastructure on which growth and the development of the country are dependent upon and this should be reflected in National Telecom Policy, 2018.
This is an annual exercise to identify issues impacting the sector and discuss Trai’s role in addressing the issues it plans to regulate.
Trai assured the service providers present at the meeting that it is already looking into most of the issues raised by the industry and would initiate consultation process on each of the identified issues at an appropriate time.
The Department of Telecommunications is in the process of framing New Telecom Policy 2018 and Trai will soon send its inputs for the same.
The meeting came at a time when the industry is reeling under financial pressure with aggressive competition unleashed by new entrant Reliance Jio.
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