Telecom minister says reforms to bring down time for granting licenses to 28 days
Sep 22, 2022
New Delhi [India], September 22 : Telecom minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Thursday that Wireless Planning and Coordination (WPC) reforms, being carried out by the government, would make it easier for telecom companies to apply for permits from the government.
He also said these reforms would give impetus to taking the process online. Vaishnaw said the draft Bill aims at bringing down the duration for granting licensing to 28 days.
The minister also said the proposed legislation would reduce the Right of Way (RoW) approval permission down to 6-7 days. Vaishnaw, also the minister for railways, was speaking at 9th Annual Forum of Public Affairs Forum of India (PAFI).
On Wednesday, the government released the draft Indian Telecommunication Bill, 2022, under which it has proposed a provision to waive off fees and penalty of telecom and internet service providers.
The ministry has proposed provision for refund of fees in case a telecom or internet provider surrenders his license. He also sought views on the draft of Indian Telecom Bill 2022 by posting a tweet on Wednesday where he shared the link of the draft Bill.
The last date for public comment on the draft is October 20.
He said on railway ministry, "The capex for railways saw a steep jump with Rs 1.93 lakh crore of investment last year initiated by the ministry with an eye to improve the consumer experience and seamless integration with nation-wide logistics."
