Telecom service authorisation regime should retain contractual nature: COAI

The new service authorisation regime in the telecom sector must continue to retain the contractual nature of the present licences to ensure uniformity, regulatory certainty, and protection for investors who commit long-term capital to the sector, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) said on Monday.

In a major overhaul of the licensing ecosystem in the telecom sector, the telecom regulator last week recommended that three new categories of authorisations be created to cover the gamut of telecom services in the country, in line with the new Telecom Act, 2023.