Telecom Minister to Meet Telecommunications Companies and Internet Providers on Tuesday
Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia will hold meetings with telecom operators, internet service providers and academics on Tuesday to continue discussions on sectoral issues, sources said.
The meetings are part of Scindia’s interactions with the six new advisory groups set up by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to formulate a new agenda focused on growth and development.
Bharti Airtel CEO Gopal Vittal, HCL Co-Founder Ajai Chowdhry, C-DOT Co-Founder NG Subramanium and RK Upadhyay are among those scheduled to participate in the discussions.
A few weeks before the government presents the national budget, telecom companies will raise the issue of customs duty exemptions on certain telecom equipment, demand that the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) be suspended until the existing fund is exhausted and that the license fee be reduced from 3 percent to 1 percent, sources said.
On Monday, the minister met with three of the seven advisory groups: satellite communications, electronics ecosystem and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
Scindia said that during the meetings with the three advisory groups, an attempt was made to delve deeper into the issues related to satellite communications, production linked incentives (PLI) and telecom equipment.
The first consultative meeting with the satcom stakeholders discussed areas of interventions to ensure higher penetration of reliable telecom services across the country. Scindia said 4-5 issues have been identified which will be taken up in the next stakeholder meeting in August.
The department is in the process of drafting the terms and conditions for allocation of satellite spectrum so that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India can consult with stakeholders.
Officials said it would clarify the allocation method, frequencies to be used, spectrum pricing and general conditions for satellite operators related to national security.
The meeting with private telecom-electronics players focused on drafting a charter for sectoral priorities for deliberations on expanding the Indian market. Scindia said this platform will form the basis for government-industry collaboration in the sector.
With a view to rapidly boosting exports of telecom equipment and bringing more SMEs into the telecom manufacturing sector, the government is planning to revamp the existing PLI scheme for the telecom sector, officials said. Funding for the expanded scheme may not be a challenge as the DoT has over Rs 1,000 crore in surplus funds for the purpose, officials have said.
First print: Jul 15, 2024 | 10:23 PM IST