The launch of the telecom bill is anticipated to coincide with an upgrade to a crucial fundamental policy that governs spectrum distribution for all forms of communication and use by all government and commercial users. This could make new spectrums available for 5G implementation and auction in the next six to ten months.
All national authorities, including the telecom department, the department of space, and the defence ministry, are guided by the NFAP, a central policy, in how they will use spectrum in the future.
It offers a comprehensive regulatory framework, defining the frequency bands that are available for, among other things, satellite broadcasting, Wi-Fi, sound and television broadcasting, radio navigation for ships and aircraft, defence and security communications, and disaster relief and emergency communications.
It has to be updated since new frequencies for the rollout of 5G have been announced by the International Telecom Union since it was last issued in 2018. The Telecom Department established three working groups back in 2021 to study spectrum bands and make suggestions for revisions or amendments to the NFAP. But according to officials, it has not yet submitted its proposals.
Regarding the delay, officials stated that they would have more time to fine-tune the policy and boost the NFAP’s efficacy due to current stakeholder consultations on the telecom law. “The revised plan (NFAP) is anticipated to serve as a general framework for 5G spectrum usage. Consequently, it requires additional fine tweaking. There is a belief that the updated strategy ought to be implemented after the proposed telecom law becomes law “an official said
The Department’s Wireless Planning & Coordination Wing is working on the issue. All of the nation’s wireless customers are taken care of by the National Radio Regulatory Authority, which is also in charge of licencing and frequency spectrum management.
The proposed Indian Telecommunication Bill, which aims to replace the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act of 1933 and the Telegraph Wires (Unlawful Possession) Act of 1950, was published last week by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). The draught will become a bill in the next 6 to 10 months because the government is not in a rush, according to Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, even though the deadline for stakeholder comments on the draught is October 20.