Net neutrality choke on telecom service providers

Telecom service providers must get flexibility to raise revenue from alternative sources

The government is willing to explore options to make telecom companies reach beyond the cities to make India’s ambitious digital plans come alive, said Manoj Sinha, the minister. 

For one, he wanted companies to invest more in setting up telecom towers. For the industry, in a bruising rate war that has locked up Rs 8 lakh crore of investment, more money to invest in these is difficult.

The options for Airtel, Reliance Jio, Vodafone and Idea on the one hand and for the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) on the other have consequently narrowed, say experts. One way is