OTT communication services should be brought under license, telecom companies should be compensated: COAI

New Delhi. Telecom companies’ body Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) on Tuesday said OTT (over the top) communication services should directly compensate telcos for the movement of Internet content in the network. The organization has also advocated for licenses and regulations for such services.

OTT communication service providers include entities such as WhatsApp. COAI Director General SP Kochhar said the organization has given its suggestions on the draft Telecom Bill. In this, it has been told how OTT communication services can be defined to make things clear.

Kochhar told reporters that when the rules are discussed, other proposals, including the financial model of compensation to telecom service providers in the case of OTT communication services, would be given to the government. This financial model can be of revenue sharing. He said that revenue sharing model based on internet (data) consumption can be adopted for other OTTs (all categories) in future.