Trai extends deadline for comments on regulating and selective banning of OTT players

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has extended by two weeks the deadline for OTT communication platforms such as WhatsApp, Zoom, Google Meet, Signal and Telegram to submit their comments on its consultation paper to regulate and selectively ban the players. 

“Keeping in view the request of stakeholders for extension of time for submission of comments, it has been decided to extend the last date for submission of written comments and counter comments up to 18.08.2023 and 01.09.2023 respectively,” read the extension letter posted on the Trai website. 

TRAI had released a consultation paper on ‘Regulatory Mechanism for Over-The-Top (OTT) Communication Services, and Selective Banning of OTT Services’ on July 7. August 4 was fixed as the last date for receiving written comments from stakeholders on the points raised in the paper. The deadline for counter comments was August 18. 

This is the regulator’s third attempt to regulate OTT communication platforms. Its first attempt in 2015 remained inconclusive. Its second attempt started in November 2018, but the regulator concluded after two years that it was not an opportune moment to recommend a comprehensive regulatory framework for OTT communication services. 

In its latest attempt, one of the primary concerns highlighted by the regulator is that there is no parity in the existing regulations for OTT platforms and TSPs. OTT services offer communications services similar to that of telecom service providers (TSPs) without paying a licence fee, while the TSPs have to pay hefty licence fees, it pointed out. 

TRAI has asked also stakeholders to define OTT services and OTT communication services, as well as identify classification in both categories.  

Besides, the regulator flagged the need for a regulatory framework for selective banning of OTT services saying: “Shutdown of telecommunications or the internet can have significant ramifications for a country’s economy…selective banning of specific OTT applications and websites etc., which are likely to be used by the terrorists or anti-national elements to ferment trouble in the specified regions, appears to be preferable as compared to complete internet shutdown.” It has asked the OTT players what technical challenges there are in selective banning of specific OTT services and websites in specific regions of the country for a specific period.