Telcos raise pitch to regulate OTT apps

Telecom players Reliance Jio, Vodafone Idea, Bharti Airtel and BSNL have intensified their pressure on the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) to bring messaging and calling apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram within the purview of telecom licences.

In a meeting with Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday, the operators expressed concern over the regulator’s decision to exclude over-the-top (OTT) apps from its recommendations on new licensing rules.