Telecom operators expect internet calling and messaging apps like WhatsApp, Google Meet, and Telegram to comply with rules in the same manner as all service providers do, according to a statement from the Cellular Operators Association of India on Monday.
The COAI—which includes Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea, among its members—argued that excluding over-the-top communication apps from the Telecommunications Act 2023 is misleading.
According to the COAI members, like telecom operators, these apps should also be subject to various non-sectoral regulations.
"COAI would like to state that the 'Security of the Country' is of utmost importance and in this regard, all communication service providers, including OTT-based communication services, should adhere to the requisite directives of the country as done by the Telecom Service Providers," COAI Director General SP Kochhar said.
He stated that telecom operators have made substantial investments into developing infrastructure for lawful interception and monitoring.
"However, despite these investments, the unregulated application-based communications services completely bypass this apparatus, which is a big security threat to the nation," Kochhar said.
He stated that the rapid expansion of OTT services and the unchecked growth of communication platforms are leading to significant security threats and creating an uneven playing field between regulated, law-abiding service providers and their unregulated counterparts.
Kochhar noted that some argue OTT communication services should be exempt from the Telecom Act, 2023, citing existing regulations under the IT Act, 2000, Indian Penal Code, 1860, Consumer Protection Act, 2019, and DPDP Act, 2023.
"This argument is completely misleading as the requirement pertains purely to regulatory oversight of communication services expressly covered under the Telecom Act, 2023. It is important to highlight that TSPs, which are governed by the Telecom Act, are also regulated by all the above legislations as prescribed by Parliament," Kochhar said.
Telecom operators have been demanding that the government should provide a level-playing field by applying the same rules on calling and messaging apps as is applicable to them.
(With Inputs From PTI)
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