NEW DELHI: The federal government on Monday took key steps to overtake and modernise the archaic Indian Telegraph Act of 1885 and associated legislations, seeking to create a strong safety equipment to guard important cellular networks from cyberattacks and different unlawful break-ins, whereas stipulating a penalty of Rs 50,000 for unsolicited messaging to customers, that may go as much as Rs 2 lakh per message for repeat offenders who additionally face the specter of suspension of their telecommunication companies.
‘Telcos cannot promote SIMs with out biometric-based identification’
The much-awaited Telecommunications Invoice, 2023, tabled within the Lok Sabha by communications minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, is billed as a significant reform push and seeks to usher in a liberalised regime for heralding satellite-based telephony within the nation by giving entry to spectrum on an administrative foundation, in contrast to the common observe of auctions for terrestrial airwaves. This can make it simpler for corporations corresponding to Elon Musk’s Starlink, Jeff Bezos’s Venture Kuiper, and Bharti’s OneWeb to start satellite tv for pc communications companies within the nation. On Monday, TOI had completely written about this and different provisions.
Communications companies by means of over-the-top (OTT) gamers corresponding to WhatsApp, Fb messenger, Instagram chat, Apple’s Facetime, Skype and Microsoft Groups have been stored out of the laws, regardless of earlier plans to convey the businesses underneath a licensing regime that will have additionally enabled the federal government and law-enforcement companies to observe their companies consistent with related checks on telecom corporations. The federal government is of the view that any regulatory set-up for the web companies must be dealt with by the IT ministry within the forthcoming Digital India Invoice that goals to overtake the prevailing IT Act.
Authorities sources mentioned that there are 4 important areas of reform, together with these associated to licensing, spectrum, proper of manner and dispute decision.
The Telecommunications Invoice, which additionally seeks to switch the Indian Wi-fi Telegraphy Act, 1933 and the Telegraph Wires (Illegal Possession) Act, 1950, additionally promotes environment friendly use of spectrum, and its re-farming or harmonisation to make optimum use of the precious useful resource. It offers powers to the federal government to terminate the allotment of spectrum that is still unutilised for inadequate causes, once more to make sure that the airwaves are utilised and don’t lie idle.
Nonetheless, sure provisions within the invoice that empower the federal government with overriding powers in circumstances of pure calamity or threats to nationwide safety raised considerations in sure sections, though the federal government mentioned these have been the norm and much like the regime throughout many international locations. These embody provisions of assortment, evaluation and dissemination of site visitors information that’s generated, transmitted, acquired or saved in telecommunication networks. The federal government mentioned that is mandatory to guard and guarantee cybersecurity of telecommunication networks and companies.
To forestall unlawful sale of cellular connections, the invoice stipulates that telecom corporations can’t promote SIM playing cards with out figuring out the particular person by means of use of any verifiable biometric-based identification.
For person safety, the invoice stipulates that the prior consent of customers for receiving sure specified messages or class of specified messages must be taken in case of ‘specified message’ that supply, promote or promote items, companies, curiosity in property, enterprise alternative, employment alternative or funding alternative (or else threat penalties).
‘Telcos cannot promote SIMs with out biometric-based identification’
The much-awaited Telecommunications Invoice, 2023, tabled within the Lok Sabha by communications minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, is billed as a significant reform push and seeks to usher in a liberalised regime for heralding satellite-based telephony within the nation by giving entry to spectrum on an administrative foundation, in contrast to the common observe of auctions for terrestrial airwaves. This can make it simpler for corporations corresponding to Elon Musk’s Starlink, Jeff Bezos’s Venture Kuiper, and Bharti’s OneWeb to start satellite tv for pc communications companies within the nation. On Monday, TOI had completely written about this and different provisions.
Communications companies by means of over-the-top (OTT) gamers corresponding to WhatsApp, Fb messenger, Instagram chat, Apple’s Facetime, Skype and Microsoft Groups have been stored out of the laws, regardless of earlier plans to convey the businesses underneath a licensing regime that will have additionally enabled the federal government and law-enforcement companies to observe their companies consistent with related checks on telecom corporations. The federal government is of the view that any regulatory set-up for the web companies must be dealt with by the IT ministry within the forthcoming Digital India Invoice that goals to overtake the prevailing IT Act.
Authorities sources mentioned that there are 4 important areas of reform, together with these associated to licensing, spectrum, proper of manner and dispute decision.
The Telecommunications Invoice, which additionally seeks to switch the Indian Wi-fi Telegraphy Act, 1933 and the Telegraph Wires (Illegal Possession) Act, 1950, additionally promotes environment friendly use of spectrum, and its re-farming or harmonisation to make optimum use of the precious useful resource. It offers powers to the federal government to terminate the allotment of spectrum that is still unutilised for inadequate causes, once more to make sure that the airwaves are utilised and don’t lie idle.
Nonetheless, sure provisions within the invoice that empower the federal government with overriding powers in circumstances of pure calamity or threats to nationwide safety raised considerations in sure sections, though the federal government mentioned these have been the norm and much like the regime throughout many international locations. These embody provisions of assortment, evaluation and dissemination of site visitors information that’s generated, transmitted, acquired or saved in telecommunication networks. The federal government mentioned that is mandatory to guard and guarantee cybersecurity of telecommunication networks and companies.
To forestall unlawful sale of cellular connections, the invoice stipulates that telecom corporations can’t promote SIM playing cards with out figuring out the particular person by means of use of any verifiable biometric-based identification.
For person safety, the invoice stipulates that the prior consent of customers for receiving sure specified messages or class of specified messages must be taken in case of ‘specified message’ that supply, promote or promote items, companies, curiosity in property, enterprise alternative, employment alternative or funding alternative (or else threat penalties).
