SUMMARY
- COAI Director General SP Kochhar emphasized that the govt should initiate the establishment of security standards.
- A collaborative proposal between the government and industry could be presented to the WTSA.
- During his address at IMC, the PM highlighted the importance of global measures for cyber security.
The government must implement regulations regarding the entry and exit of data from Indian telecom systems, including those of OTT providers, a high-ranking official from the Confederation of Indian Industry (COAI) stated on Thursday.
While commending Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address on cyber security framework during the opening ceremony of India Mobile Congress and ITU’s World Telecommunications Standardization Assembly (WTSA), COAI Director General SP Kochhar emphasized that the government should initiate the establishment of security standards with the industry’s support.
He noted that a collaborative proposal between the government and industry could be presented to the WTSA.
“Several elements which use telecom networks cannot be forced to comply with Indian law. We have been saying this but it is a necessity. To do that we have to enforce entry and exit of data as well as entities from Indian networks through technology. Whom we allow to enter and exit from Indian telecom networks is the government right,” stated Kochhar.
During his address at IMC, the Prime Minister highlighted the importance of global measures for cyber security. He emphasized the need for discussions at the India Mobile Congress on safeguarding the democratic societies of the world.
Kochhar mentioned that with the advancement of cloud technology, the laws of various countries regarding telecom networks, along with Indian regulations, apply to elements within India’s jurisdiction.
He pointed out that the majority of fraudulent activities occur through various applications, especially those offered by OTT platforms.
Kochhar said, “It doesn’t matter if a fraudulent call has come from a telco network or OTT. A fraud is a fraud and people lose money. Telcos are highly regulated.”
“The chance of fraud calls on telecom networks can be traced but the OTT on the other hand are not regulated. The government needs to bring comprehensive rules for making citizens secure on the application level as well,” he added.
Telecom service providers have been advocating for the regulation of OTT applications such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Google Meet, arguing that they offer similar communication services as conventional mobile service providers.
