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July 4, 2001
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Money > Business Headlines > Report July 4, 2001 |
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GoT-IT to discuss draft Convergence Bill next weekBS ICE Bureau The Group on Telecom and IT would meet to discuss the draft Convergence Bill next week. The Bill is likely to be introduced in the Monsoon Session starting July 23. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an Assocham-organised seminar on "Can Draft Convergence Bill Realise Telecom Revolution?", information and broadcasting minister Sushma Swaraj Tuesday said, "The group of ministers would meet on July 11 to initiate the process of finalising the draft Convergence Bill. The draft would then be forwarded for cabinet approval." Replying to a question, Swaraj said the government was yet to receive any application for KU-band direct-to-home licences. While delivering the inaugural address earlier, Swaraj said the proposed convergence law would be an important facilitator and a catalyst for all knowledge-based industries, specially the telecommunication sector. "We would need entrepreneurs, administrators, bankers, technology experts and consumers, who are early adopters and innovators, to fuel the telecommunication revolution," she said. The minister added: "While framing the draft Convergence Bill, we kept in mind that communication services are available to the customers at an affordable cost." The proposed bill aims at creating a comprehensive legislation for IT, telecom and broadcasting media. Pointing out that the proposed bill also calls for the creation of a super regulator Communications Commission of India, which would have licensing and regulatory powers, Swaraj said, the problems of spectrum management and right of way could be tackled far more easily when a single law, covering both demand and supply of convergence related services and applications. The minister said that a trend, which is inevitable, and perhaps, a fall-out of convergence, is the changes in the market structure, specifically in relation to mergers and acquisitions which will result in concentration of economic power. "Any new legislation must take note of such an emerging scenario and should guard against exploitation of the consumer while providing for a level playing field for all operators," Swaraj said. During the session, Assocham demanded that the classifications of services and facilities under the draft legislation be simplified and cleared. "Currently the draft classifies the services into four division - network infrastructure facilities, network services, application services, and content application services. We feel that the classification is confusing and needs to be reworked," the chamber said while presenting its sub-committee's report on convergence. It proposed that the classification be infrastructure provider, service provider and content provider. Powered by YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO READ:
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