The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has announced an upcoming consultation paper on regulatory issues related to OTT players like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+ Hotstar and JioCinema, as per reports.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) will be overseeing the content regulation and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) will overlook the carriage part of it, as directed the TRAI.
Furthermore, the TRAI is planning to discuss the issue of price parity between OTT platforms and other distribution channels such as cable TV and DTH providers. The TRAI also indicated that live content on OTT platforms may be brought under a similar rules and regulations structure as the broadcasting sector.
Not too long ago, industry associations, civil society groups, and consumer organizations have joined forces to express their reservations regarding the consultation paper released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) concerning the regulation of over-the-top (OTT) communication services and the potential selective banning of certain OTT services.
In their submission, the Broadband India Forum (BIF) highlighted the positive impact of OTTs on India’s app economy and firmly asserts that the current regulatory framework, including the IT Act of 2000 and related legislation, adequately regulates OTT services.
BIF’s recommendation is rooted in the belief that the existing regulatory environment has played a pivotal role in fostering the robust growth of India’s app economy, contributing to one of the world’s highest annual app download rates. According to them, introducing new regulatory frameworks could disrupt the current competitive landscape and jeopardize both consumer advantages and innovative developments.