TRAI Wants To Know What Stakeholders Think Of OTT: Releases Consultation Papers For View On Regulatory Framework

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released a consultation paper ‘Regulatory Framework for Over The Top (OTT) Communication Services’ with the objective of seeking the perspective of stakeholders to bring over the top (OTT) platforms under the regulatory framework. TRAI plans to analyse and discuss the implications of the growth of OTTs and the relationship between the OTT and Telecom service providers (TSPs), reported Television Post.

The paper will also give an insight into the similarities between services provided by the TSPs and OTT players if there are any, and recommend changes to the current regulatory framework to govern these entities and provide a structure as to how the changes should be implemented.

The authority also clarified that the consultation was not released with the intention of revisiting regulations or recommendations on OTT that were provided earlier by them.

The stakeholders can provide their views on the issues raised in the consultation paper by 10 December and counter comments, if required, by 24 December. The authority had earlier released a consultation paper for OTT on 27 March 2015 which included issues pertaining to the principles of net neutrality, non-price based discrimination of services and transparency requirements.

OTT services theoretically in a broader sense can be considered as a platform consisting of all online services like e-commerce platforms or applications offering aggregating services restricting the consultation paper is confined within this scope.