The Telecom Policy 1999 which revolutionised the telecom sector will be revamped soon with the Department of Telecom likely to retain licensing powers.
The government has already embarked upon the exercise of revamping the telecom policy within the department, sources associated with the process said, adding a couple of meetings have taken place under the chairmanship of Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran.
Maran had also announced in Rajya Sabha last week that "in the context of unprecedented growth in tele-density, technological changes and issues of digital divide, the government feels that there is a need for revamping the New Telecom Policy 1999 (NTP 99)."
However, no time frame has been fixed at this stage, Maran had said in Parliament.
With the possibility of DoT retaining powers for issuing licences in the proposed new policy, the Convergence Bill, which was put on the back burner by the previous the government, may eventually be re-visited with dilution.
Sources said in case the Convergence Bill is passed in the current form, DoT may not get the licensing powers as these would be shifted to the proposed Convergence Commission of India.
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