Telcos want TRAI to overlook the letter from start-ups regarding network fees
By MYBRANDBOOK
In a letter to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has urged the regulator to ignore a letter petition signed by 128 start-up founders like Nithin Kamath, Vijay Shekhar Sharma, and Sameer Nigam. In September, various start-up founders had signed a letter petition, addressed to the TRAI which advocated against the telecom companies' demand for OTT (over-the-top) players to pay network usage fees to telcos to compensate for the costs incurred by telcos to develop and maintain large networks.
The letter had argued that such demand by telcos was tantamount to “rent-seeking” and that “overregulation of internet services being described as OTT services, which may have discriminatory consequences”. It also said that such a mechanism would tilt the balance away from young start-ups and be in favour of large tech players who can afford to pay such compensation to telcos.
Other than being inconsistent with the start-up India initiative, the latter claimed that such a compensation mechanism would be in breach of well-founded principles of net neutrality.
The COAI letter claims that far from hurting start-ups, such a network usage fee would work to their advantage. The letter recalled how telcos had earlier proposed to exempt start-ups and MSMEs from payment of such fees.
The telcos further reasoned that post the exemption, the levy of such a network fee would help enhance telecom infrastructure, which in turn would help start-ups and MSMEs deliver better quality services.
The telcos further wrote in the letter that an "equitable contribution to infrastructure costs" by large traffic generators would help in ensuring better network quality and expansive outreach of services, which would also aid the Govt’s efforts towards social upliftment.
On the issue of net neutrality, the telcos submitted that it had no nexus with the fair share compensation sought by telecom companies. The letter claims, "Telecom Service Providers are not asking for any price differentiation for similarly placed entities and this perception being propagated by certain entities is a grave misconception and myth.
Telecom companies assured in their letter, "All startups/MSMEs/low usage internet companies will enjoy the same quality of service as the LTGs, without any discrimination."
BREAKING NEWS
TECHNO TRENDS
Legal Battle Over IT Act Intensifies Amid Musk’s India Plans
The outcome of the legal dispute between X Corp and the Indian government c...
Wipro inks 10-year deal with Phoenix Group's ReAssure UK worth
The agreement, executed through Wipro and its 100% subsidiary,...
Centre announces that DPDP Rules nearing Finalisation by April
The government seeks to refine the rules for robust data protection, ensuri...
Home Ministry cracks down on PoS agents in digital arrest scam
Digital arrest scams are a growing cybercrime where victims are coerced or ...
E-Magazine
TECHNOTAINMENT
Hrithik Roshan to endorse RuPay as Brand Ambassador
RuPay is reportedly planning to feature Bollywood superstar Hrithik Rosha
India Today Group launches – AI Pop Stars
Staying true to our industry leadership position in using cutting-edge tech
MOVERS & SHAKERS
TelioLabs ropes in Phaniraj V A as the Group CEO
TelioLabs has announced the onboarding of Phaniraj V A as its new Group CE
Wipro Appoints Amit Kumar as Managing Partner and Global Head
Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO), a leading technology s
OPEN YOUR EYES
INTERVIEWS
Acer addresses evolving customer needs by consistently pushing
Acer offers a comprehensive range of products under one roof, including des
In India, 88% of Indian business leaders are planning to inves
As we move through 2024, it has become increasingly clear that AI is not ju
HOT PICK
MSI Announces the availability of RTX 50 series of laptops in
MSI, the innovative computing manufacturer in gaming, creator
Nothing Phone (3a) goes on sale today, starting at Rs 19,999
The phone was launched on March 4, featuring a 50MP main, ultra-wide, and t
MAKE IN INDIA BRANDS
VEHERE INTERACTIVE PVT. LTD.
CENTRE FOR DEVELOPMENT OF TELEMATICS (C-DOT)
SAMRIDDHI AUTOMATIONS PVT. LTD.
PDRL - Passenger Drone Research Pvt. Ltd.
EMINENT CIO'S OF INDIA
ICONS OF INDIA
Icons Of India : Kumar Mangalam Birla
Aditya Birla Group chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla recently made a comeb...
Icons Of India : MUKESH D. AMBANI
Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani is an Indian businessman and the chairman and ...
ICONS OF INDIA : RAMESH NATRAJAN
Ramesh Natarajan, CEO of Redington Limited, on overcoming ‘technolog...
PARTNER SPEAKERS
PSU
IOCL - Indian Oil Corporation Ltd.
IOCL is India’s largest oil refining and marketing company ...
CERT-IN - Indian Computer Emergency Response Team
CERT-In is a national nodal agency for responding to computer security...
NPCI - National Payments Corporation of India
NPCI is an umbrella organization for operating retail payments and set...
VIDEOS
Top 25 Brands
Global Indian industry
Indian Tech Talent Excelling The Tech World - NIKESH ARORA, Chairman CEO - Palo Alto Networks
Nikesh Arora, the Chairman and CEO of Palo Alto Networks, is steering ...
Indian Tech Talent Excelling The Tech World - RAVI KUMAR S, CEO- Cognizant
Ravi Kumar S, appointed as CEO of Cognizant in January 2023, sets the ...
Indian Tech Talent Excelling The Tech World - JAYASHREE ULLAL, President and CEO - Arista Network
Jayshree V. Ullal is a British-American billionaire businesswoman, ser...
ITFORUM 2025
CMO of the Year
WOMEN LEADERSHIP
IMAGE GALLERY
TRENDS IN TECHNOLOGY
MORE VIDEOS
ADVERTISEMENTS
TECHNOLOGY DISRUPTION
UNICORNS REVOLUTIONISING
of images belongs to the respective copyright holders
