Telcos discuss AGR, OTP apps exclusion from licensing rules with Scindia

New Delhi: Telecom operators in a meeting with Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia expressed concerns over regulator Trai excluding messaging and calling apps like WhatsApp and Telegram in its recommendation on new licensing rules, sources aware of the development said.

Operators also discussed issues concerning adjusted gross revenue payments, they added. The meeting was attended by Reliance Jio Chairman Akash Ambani, Vodafone Idea CEO Akshaya Moondra, Bharti Airtel MD and CEO Gopal Vittal and BSNL Chairman and Managing Director Robert J Ravi. "All telecom operators expressed concern over the exclusion of over-the-top apps by Trai in its recommendation on Service Authorisation. Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel raised the issue of adjusted gross revenue," a source said.

Telecom operators have been demanding for a long time to bring calling and messaging apps, called as OTTs, under the ambit of telecom licences as they provide calling and messaging services like any telecom operator. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) did not heed to the demand of telecom operators and kept the apps out of its recommendation on the new licensing rules under the Telecommunications Act 2023. Vodafone Idea (VIL) shared its concern on the impact of adjusted gross revenue (AGR) issue on the health of the sector which was also supported by Bharti Airtel.

Last week, the Supreme Court rejected the VIL curative petition on the grounds that it did not meet the criteria for the petition. VIL has an AGR liability of Rs 70,320 crore and Bharti Airtel has about Rs 21,500 crore. Scindia during the meeting discussed the menace of pesky calls and SMS. "The operators have some concern over unsolicited commercial calls which the DoT has taken note of," the source said. After telecom operators, Scindia met telecom equipment makers including Dixon Technologies, Nokia, Ericsson, Sterlite Technologies and VVDN.