Government plans new Telecom licensing rules

The central government is planning to change the licensing rules for telecommunications service providers due to security concerns related to the communication networks in the country.
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has said in a statement on Friday that it will discuss the issue with the service providers and other stakeholders and prepare the new guidelines in week’s time.
The government seems to be concerned that malicious software in telecommunication equipment brought from abroad could cause a threat to the national security. The DoT has already notified satellite-based communications services providers in the country to attain security approval before they import any equipment from other countries.
The statement added that the government wants service providers to take responsibility of the network they control. The announcement has come after service providers were unhappy over local government bodies not allowing them to import equipment from China over security concerns.
The service providers say that this will slow down their expansion plans. The companies intend to purchase equipment made by firms like Huawei Technologies Co. and ZTE Corp. The Chinese manufacturers offer the same equipment at much lower prices when compared to their counterparts in western companies