Department of Telecom Consults TRAI on Regulating OTT Services

Internet has become an essential commodity in our daily lifestyle that is impossible to exist without. One needs to be always cautious about the content that is streaming on OTT platforms as they are not always what you can watch with your family.

The Department of Telecom (DoT) has approached the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), where it has sought the latter’s opinion regarding the framework preparation for regulating internet messages and voice calling applications.

It might be extended to OTT service providers like WhatsApp, Google Meet, Signal, and numerous other services and it is for a good reason that DoT has asked TRAI to consider telecom rules are applicable to all such services.

In Brief

TRAI opined that regulating OTT services were not necessary due to which DoT asked for new recommendations under the changing scenarios as technology is becoming more and more advanced.

TRAI had said that internet service providers can provide internet telephony so that making calls would become easier on the phone network in case they paid connection charges and installed equipment for intercepting within the boundaries of the law.

Telecom companies and its operators have been putting subtle pressure on TRAI for many years for regulating OTT platforms in India as they feel that all these service providers should pay licensing fees.

Also Read: 5G Telecom Services to Roll out in India by October 2022