The Hindu Business Line : Industry inputs sought for new telecom policy

THE Ministry of Communication has sought inputs from the telecom industry to formulate a New Telecom Policy 2005 (NTP05) to keep pace with new technologies and consumer requirements.

According to senior Government officials, the move is in line with the provisions of the New Telecom Policy 1999, which had sought to review the telecom policy every five years.

The Government has written to all the major telecom associations, including the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) and Association of Unified Services Providers of India (AUSPI), to suggest policy measures to revamp the existing NTP 1999.

The proposed policy is intended to be a comprehensive policy encompassing various aspects of the sector, including access, technology, equipment manufacturing, spectrum management, R&D and quality of services.

The NTP 1999 has been hailed as one of the most successful policies of the Government. The migration package offered by NTP 1999 came at a time when the mobile industry was under severe financial burden from the licence fee.

However, since most of the objectives and targets set in the NTP 1999 have been fulfilled, Government is exploring the need for a new policy.

Also, with the emergence of new technologies such as Wi-Max and high-speed data packet services, the provisions in NTP 1999 could need a review.

Other policy initiatives such as unified licence regime and access deficit charge and convergence of broadcasting and telecom may also be forcing the Government to spell out new direction for the sector.

The Communication Minister, Mr Dayanidhi Maran, had earlier spelt out the Government's intentions for a review of the existing policy.

"I would like to revamp the telecom policy so as to take the country's communication sector forward in a big way," Mr Maran had said while taking office a year ago.

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