{"id":78235,"date":"2026-07-02T15:36:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T10:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=78235"},"modified":"2026-07-02T18:38:05","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T13:08:05","slug":"telecommunications-act-2023-rules","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/02-07-2026\/telecommunications-act-2023-rules","title":{"rendered":"New Rules Under Telecommunications Act, 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/ Governance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Union Government has notified three major authorisation rules under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, making the new telecom regulatory framework operational.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The authorisation rules under the Act include rules;\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Telecommunications (Authorisation for Provision of Principal Telecommunication Services) Rules, 2026.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Telecommunications (Authorisation for Captive Telecommunication Services) Rules, 2026.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Telecommunications (Authorisation for Provision of Miscellaneous Telecommunication Services) Rules, 2026.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Background<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Telecommunications Act, 2023<\/strong> replaces the <strong>Indian Telegraph Act, 1885<\/strong> and the <strong>Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1933.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Act consolidates India&#8217;s telecom laws into a single legislation to address technological advancements such as 5G, 6G, satellite communication, Internet of Things (IoT), and internet-based communication services.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>While certain provisions of the Act were notified in<strong> 2024<\/strong>, the notification of the authorisation rules completes its implementation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Features of the Telecommunications Act, 2023<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Technology-Neutral Definition of Telecommunication: <\/strong>The Act defines telecommunication broadly as the transmission, emission or reception of messages through wire, radio, optical or other electromagnetic systems.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Right of Way:<\/strong> The Act streamlines procedures for establishing telecom infrastructure on public and private property.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The provision is expected to accelerate broadband expansion and the rollout of next-generation telecom networks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Spectrum Assignment: <\/strong>Spectrum will ordinarily be assigned through auctions. Administrative allocation of spectrum is permitted for specified public purposes, including national security, defence, disaster management and public broadcasting.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Digital Bharat Nidhi:<\/strong> The Act renames the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) as the Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN).\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The fund will continue to finance telecom infrastructure in rural, remote and commercially unviable areas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Emergency Powers: <\/strong>The Central Government may temporarily take possession of telecom infrastructure during war, public emergency or in the interest of national security.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Government may also intercept, monitor or suspend telecommunications in accordance with prescribed procedures.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Telecommunications (Authorisation) Rules, 2026<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The government also notified the<strong> DoT&#8217;s Telecom eServices Portal <\/strong>for digital implementation of the new framework, clarifying that authorisation does not automatically grant spectrum rights.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Authorisation-Based Regulatory Framework:<\/strong> The rules replace the earlier licence-based operational framework with an authorisation system prescribed under the Telecommunications Act, 2023.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Satellite &amp; Data Rules:<\/strong> Companies planning to establish, operate, maintain or expand satellite telecom networks or provide telecom services through satellite networks, will have to obtain separate government approval.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The rules also require authorised entities to obtain government approval before <strong>establishing or expanding telecom infrastructure<\/strong> in security-sensitive areas.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Telecom operators must store network data, logs and related information within India. Copies of such data cannot be routed, shared or made available outside the country.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What are the Concerns?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Broad Definition of Telecommunication:<\/strong> The technology-neutral definition of telecommunication has raised concerns that it could bring<strong> internet-based communication platforms<\/strong>, such as messaging and calling applications, within the regulatory ambit if notified by the Government.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Privacy Concerns: <\/strong>The Act empowers the Government to intercept communications and temporarily take possession of telecom infrastructure under specified circumstances.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Regulatory Uncertainty for OTT Platforms:<\/strong> The regulatory treatment of Over-the-Top (OTT) communication services remains uncertain.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Way Ahead<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Government should ensure that the implementation of the Telecommunications Act, 2023 provides regulatory certainty, safeguards user privacy, and maintains an appropriate balance between national security and digital rights.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A transparent and technology-neutral regulatory framework should facilitate the smooth transition to the new authorisation regime while promoting universal digital connectivity and investment in next-generation telecommunications.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/explained-the-telecommunications-act-2023-comes-into-force\/article71153558.ece\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong><br \/>\nContext<\/p>\n<p><\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">\n<p>The Union Government has notified three major authorisation rules under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, making the new telecom regulatory framework operational.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong><br \/>\nAbout<\/p>\n<p><\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"\t>\n<p>The authorisation rules under the Act include rules;<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">\n<p>Telecommunications (Authorisation for Provision of Principal Telecommunication Services) Rules, 2026.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<p><a href=\" https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/02-07-2026\/telecommunications-act-2023-rules \" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-78235","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78235","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=78235"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78235\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":78238,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78235\/revisions\/78238"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78235"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=78235"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=78235"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}