NEW DELHI: A new policy for the telecom sector is all set to see the light of day, with the Department of Telecom announcing on Wednesday that it is planning to start work on it from 2017. The policy will be focused on facilitating growth and meeting the requirements of next-generation technologies.
“My preference would be to handle what is on the plate and start working on the new policy in April 2017, which would actually be 25 years after the commencement of the wireless revolution in this country,” Telecom Secretary J S Deepak said at an India Telecom event.
Deepak, however, pointed out that the unfinished job under the National Telecom Policy (NTP) that was announced in 2012. The telecom ministry has, so far, issued technology neutral telecom licences under the NTP 2012 which was delinked from the spectrum.
The sector has also seen significant other reforms like finalisation of spectrum trading and sharing rules, full mobile number portability and increase spectrum supply for the industry. Notably, the government on Wednesday has also notified the abolition of wireless operating licences, a move that will only increase the ease of doing business in the sector.
So far, the telecom service providers are required to obtain a separate licence for installing and operating base stations as also other wireless equipment, which is already covered as part of their main licences like the Unified Access Service Licence.
Hence, the move to do away with a separate wireless operating licence reduces the hassles for telecom operators. “The Wireless Advisor office is working with determination in making SACFA (permit for installing towers) automated end-to-end,” said Deepak.
However, it is yet to meet certain targets like 2 megabits per second broadband speed for consumers, abolition of roaming charges across the country, promoting use of white spaces, simplifying network rollout issues, formation of the National Mobile Property Registry and empowering consumers by bringing their disputes with service providers under the jurisdiction of consumer forums.
Deepak said that before the work on the new policy starts, the DoT has to undertake and complete pending reforms and try to ensure most of it is wrapped up by March.“This year in 2016-17, compared to `1,200 crore expenditure from USOF (meant for rural areas) last year, we hope to bring that expenditure to `12,000 crores,” Deepak added.