NOV 12, 2022 | ASIA PACIFIC | INDIA
Draft Telecom Bill: Negative Impact on Digital Ecosystem, Say Tech Companies
The Indian Express, November 12, 2022
By Soumyarendra Barik
The government should keep internet communication services and other internet-based services outside the purview of the draft telecom Bill, industry groupings representing top tech firms have said, arguing that such a prescription would be against global standards.
“The overbroad definition of telecommunication services will extend licensing and authorization requirements over the wide range of IT and digital services. In case of non-compliance, the Bill also sets a significant and disproportionate penalty (includes both imprisonment and hefty fines) on these service providers,” BSA said. “This will pose significant risk for IT and Digital businesses in India and will likely throttle Internet-based innovation as well as the nascent Indian start-up ecosystem.”
Original Posting: https://indianexpress.com/article/business/draft-telecom-bill-negative-impact-on-digital-ecosystem-say-tech-companies-8263849/
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The Business Software Alliance (www.bsa.org) is the global trade association of the enterprise software industry, representing companies that are leaders in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, cloud computing, and other cutting-edge technologies. We work in over 20 markets in the US, Europe, and Asia, advocating for policies that build trust in technology so that every industry sector and the public can benefit from innovation. BSA also supports its members and their customers by raising awareness of the risks of unlicensed software use and the benefits of software asset management, driving license compliance and software adoption around the world through sound IT procurement.