Jio, Airtel and Vi urge TRAI to regulate WhatsApp, Telegram and other messaging apps: Find out why
Major Indian telecom companies including Reliance Jio, Airtel and Vodafone Idea (Vi) have formally requested the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to come up with new regulations for messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Google’s RCS and Telegram. The telecom operators argue that these platforms provide services equivalent to theirs and should be subject to rights or licenses.
OTT applications are considered competitors
According to one report According to the Economic Times, telecom operators are pushing TRAI to monitor OTT communication apps, claiming that these apps pose a competitive threat to their services. They note that their traditional services have been on the decline since the rise of these apps, attributing the trend to the lack of regulation of OTT services and their global reach through the internet. They assert that these apps have effectively become a replacement for text and voice communication.
Airtel’s Response to TRAI
In its response to TRAI’s extensive consultation, Airtel highlighted the growth of OTT services and applications, citing the absence of regulatory barriers and widespread accessibility brought about by internet connectivity as key factors. Airtel stressed that OTT providers have taken over the roles traditionally played by text and voice services.
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Counterclaim OTT service
OTT services counter that they are already regulated under the Information Technology Act and do not need further oversight.
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Additionally, Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea have expressed their support for TRAI’s proposal to overhaul the current telecom licensing framework. They advocate a unified national license, called the Unified Service Authorization (National), which they believe will simplify operations, reduce costs and reduce litigation. However, they have stressed that the new regime should not disrupt the existing telecom structure, warning against allowing internet service providers (ISPs) to offer subscription or VPN services.
