The Computer & Communications Industry Association provided over the weekend input with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) regarding its consultation paper on “Regulating Converged Digital Technologies and Services – Enabling Convergence of Carriage of Broadcasting and Telecommunications Services”.

Earlier this year, TRAI released its consultation paper seeking input on whether changes were needed to the existing regulatory framework for telecommunications in India and detailing  options to extend regulations to a broader range of digital and communications services.  CCIA comments discuss why the notion of regulatory convergence is flawed, and that existing frameworks reflect the differences in technologies and digital services at issue.

This follows a broader initiative by the Government of India to overhaul its digital governance frameworks. CCIA filed comments with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) regarding the Draft Telecom Bill, 2022 and led a joint industry letter to the DoT last year.

The Computer & Communications Industry Association has advocated for tech policy that advances innovation for over 50 years.

The following can be attributed to CCIA Vice President of Digital Trade Jonathan McHale:

“As India continues its consideration of revised regulatory frameworks for communication services, we encourage policymakers to ensure any new approaches both provide regulatory coherence, by avoiding overlapping jurisdiction,  and will enable growth in the Indian digital economy.”