DoT Suspends New Telecom Permits from Nov 10

New Delhi, Oct 24 (PTI) The telecom department will temporarily suspend processing new permits from November 10 until the new framework under the Telecommunications Act 2023 is notified, an official statement said on Friday.

The Telecommunications Act, 2023, was notified on December 24, 2023, and the Department of Telecom is at present in the process of firming up norms under the new framework.

The department said that as the transition to the authorisation regime under the Telecommunication Act, 2023, is presently underway, certain regulatory uncertainties and administrative complexities may arise in respect of new applications.

"In order to address this, it has been decided, as an interim measure, to suspend acceptance of new applications for issuing Unified License, Unified License(VNO), Standalone Licenses, Registrations, Permissions and No Objection Certificate, with effect from November 10, 2025, till notifications of the authorisation framework," the statement said.

However, applications already submitted up to this date will continue to be processed, it added.

The deadline for public comments on the draft for some of the authorisation framework under the Telecommunications Act 2023 ended on October 21.

The Telecommunications Act 2023 supersedes the existing and archaic regulatory framework for the telecommunication sector, based on the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, the Wireless Telegraphy Act (1933), and the Telegraph Wires (Unlawful Possession) Act (1950).

The new rules add a mandate to protect users from spam and malicious communications.

The government has partially implemented the new Act to ensure enforcement of non-discriminatory and non-exclusive grants of right of way for telecom network roll-out, and provides power to the central government to establish common ducts and cable corridors.