Government approves new telecom policy on net neutrality

New Delhi : The Telecom Commission on Wednesday approved the new telecom policy and the recommendations on net neutrality, according to sources.

The new telecom policy aimed at attracting an investment of $100 billion in the digital communications sector is likely to be in place by July 2018, Communications Minister Manoj Sinha had said on June 12.

The government on May 1 had released the draft National Telecom Policy 2018 to reform the licencing and regulatory regime and promote the ease of doing business.

The draft National Digital Communications Policy focuses on provisioning of broadband for all, creating four million additional jobs and enhancing the contribution of the sector to 8 per cent of India's GDP from around 6 per cent in 2017.

It also plans to propel India to the Top 50 nations in the ICT Development Index of International Telecommunication Union from 134 in 2017, enhancing the country's contribution to global value chains and ensuring digital sovereignty.

The Telecom Commission also approved the recommendations made by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India on the country's position on net neutrality.

The sector regulator had backed the principles of a free and open Internet and prohibited discriminatory treatment of content.