DoT has renamed Telecom commission for a better implementation of Digital Communications Policy 2018 that targets $100 billion investment
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has renamed the telecom commission as Digital Communications Commission and issued a new telecom policy to support India’s move towards becoming a digitally empowered economy and society. The department, in a notification, said that the decision was taken to support the recently announced the National Digital Communications Policy 2018.
New telecom policy goals
The government is targeting to attract around $100 billion investments towards the telecom sector by 2022 through the new telecom policy. It hopes to foster a better quality of life through the National Digital Communications policy that supports net neutrality. It is expected to monitor the spectrum prices and usage charges, license fees, the rules of mergers and acquisitions in the telecom sector and leasing and trading guidelines in India. It also aims to carve out the ease of doing business in this segment.
Data security
One of the most important concerns of the National Digital Communications Policy is data security. It stated that safeguarding the digital sovereignty of the country was crucial to ensure individual autonomy and choice, data ownership, privacy and security.
The Digital Commission will be monitoring the issues relating to the telecom industry such as data privacy amidst the rising consumption of data with newer technologies and cybercrime, apart from securing the personal data of the citizens.
The new policy is expected to raise the telecom industry’s contribution to the GDP to 8 per cent in the coming years. It currently contributes 6 per cent to the gross domestic product of India.
