New telecom rules that strengthen centre's control to be effective partially from today
- In Reports
- 09:04 PM, Jun 26, 2024
- Myind Staff
The government recently announced that key sections of The Telecommunications Act 2023 will come into effect from June 26th. These include provisions allowing the government to take control and manage any telecommunication services or networks for reasons of national security, maintaining friendly relations with foreign states, or during wartime.
The government stated that the law is grounded in principles of inclusion, security, growth, and responsiveness, aiming to achieve the vision of a developed India.
The Telecommunications Act, 2023, was passed by Parliament in December 2023, received the President's assent on December 24, 2023, and was notified the same day. "Guided by the principles of Samavesh (Inclusion), Suraksha (Security), Vriddhi (Growth), and Tvarit (Responsiveness), the Act aims to achieve the vision of Viksit Bharat (Developed India)," the government stated last week.
With these new rules in effect, the universal service obligation fund will be renamed Digital Bharat Nidhi, which can now be used to fund research and development and pilot projects, in addition to supporting the establishment of telecom services in rural areas. The new rules also include a mandate to protect users from spam and malicious communications.
The Telecommunications Act, 2023, aims to repeal existing legislative frameworks such as the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, and the Indian Wireless Telegraph Act, 1933, due to significant technical advancements in the telecom sector and technologies.
The new rules promote the enforcement of non-discriminatory and non-exclusive grants of right of way for telecom network roll-out. Additionally, they empower the central government to establish common ducts and cable corridors, according to the Centre.
Image Source: Business Today
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