The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has formed six stakeholder advisory committees to provide input on fostering sector growth and resolving key issues. This initiative, spearheaded by Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, who took charge earlier this month, aims to create a structured dialogue between the government and industry stakeholders.
The newly constituted committees cover original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), telecom service providers (TSPs), the satellite communications ecosystem, internet service providers (ISPs), electronics, and an advisory committee of academicians and research and development in the telecommunications sector.
The first meetings of these committees are expected soon, with members asked to share discussion items, goals, and targets for their respective areas. These committees will include representatives from industry associations, private firms, NITI Aayog, public sector undertakings (PSUs), and DoT officials. A senior DoT official has been assigned to coordinate the various committees.
Stakeholders have noted the significance of this move, as it marks the first time structured committees have been established to cover all major segments of the telecom industry, ensuring ongoing dialogue rather than sporadic consultations.
The OEM committee will include global firms like Ericsson, and Cisco, as well as Indian companies such as HFCL, VVDN Technologies, and the government-owned Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT). The TSP committee will feature five telecom services firms and members from the Cellular Operators Association of India and the Global System for Mobile Communications Association.
The academicians and telecommunications R&D committee will have representation from IIT Madras and Hyderabad, Telecom Standards Development Society, C-DOT, International Telecommunications Union Innovation Office, and industry associations like FICCI and ASSOCHAM. This committee will focus on technology promotion, enabling the R&D ecosystem, market strategies for developed products, fostering industry-academia linkages, sharing new ideas, and resolving issues.
The satellite ecosystem committee will include members from OneWeb, Nelco, Reliance Jio, and BSNL, among others. The telecom sector, which received a muted response to its recent spectrum auction, faces several challenges. One critical issue is revitalizing BSNL/MTNL by launching a nationwide 4G network, currently limited to certain circles, and subsequently launching 5G, which has faced significant delays.
Another contentious issue is the growing conflict between telcos and OTT operators, with telcos demanding that OTTs share the financial burden of network investments to ensure more bandwidth, as OTTs are the primary consumers.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India will also need to provide recommendations on licensing modalities and spectrum allocation methods for satellites, an issue that deeply divides telcos.
