Page 152 - SAMENA Trends - September-October 2022

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

DoT Publishes Draft Telecommunications Bill

India’s Department of Telecommunications by 20 October. Once passed into law, of legislation the Indian Telegraph Act,
(DoT) has published its draft Indian the new act will provide the overarching 1885 and the Indian Wireless Telegraphy
Telecommunications Bill, 2022 and invited regulatory structure for the sector, Act, 1933, both of which will be repealed.
comments on the proposed legislation replacing as the industry’s principal piece Amongst the changes proposed by the
new bill are plans to allow spectrum to be
assigned through auction or administrative
processes depending on need and options
to waive fees and penalties if required
to protect the interests of consumers or
ensure fair competition. The draft also
provides greater clarity regarding the
rules for insolvent operators. Providers
will be permitted to continue operating
whilst undergoing insolvency proceedings,
provided that certain conditions are
met. If the company is unable to meet
these requirements, however, assigned
spectrum would revert to government
control. Elsewhere, meanwhile, the draft bill
expands definition of ‘telecommunications
services’, to include over-the-top (OTT)
communications, subjecting providers of
such services to additional regulation.

EC Commissioner Lays Out Metaverse Attack Plan

Thierry Breton, European Commissioner European values from the outset”, with drive, the EC officially launched the VR and
for the Internal Market, outlined a three- private virtual worlds developed based on AR Industrial Coalition, first touted in 2020,
step plan around the continent’s metaverse interoperable standards and “no private bringing together stakeholders “from key
ambitions, while announcing the launch player” effectively holding all the power or metaverse technologies”. The coalition
of a VR and AR coalition to encourage setting terms and conditions. “Innovators will focus on a specific roadmap, endorsed
investment in the sector. In a blog, Breton and technologies should be allowed to by more than 40 EU companies spanning
explained the metaverse was one of thrive unhindered,” he said, adding the EC large organizations, SMEs and universities.
the European Commission’s (EC) most would not tolerate new private monopolies. Breton added Europe was investing in a
pressing challenges and its plan to foster Breton believes shaping the metaverse number of metaverse-related technologies
the virtual world will focus on people, depends on its ability to master and develop including photonics, semiconductors and
technologies and infrastructure. Breton cutting-edge technologies in Europe, and new materials, arguing there is a need
said the new environment must “embed build a sustainable ecosystem. To help its to pool EU, national and private funding
to truly push its vision. Lastly, the EC will
focus on building resilient connectivity
infrastructure. Breton said the amount of
data being exchanged in virtual spaces
will be greater than ever, putting “intense
pressure” on connectivity infrastructure.
Pointing to the challenge, said even today
increasing volumes of data was being
carried on infrastructure, but decreasing
revenue had reduced the appetite to invest
and strengthen them. To that end, the EC
will call on all market players benefitting
from digital transformation to make a
fair contribution to goods, services and
infrastructures.

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