DoT to call OTT players, telcos to discuss usage charges, revenue sharing

Representations on the issue have been separate till now

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) will invite telecom companies and communication apps for a joint discussion on the proposal of imposing interconnect usage charge or revenue sharing, officials said. Industry representations on the matter have so far been separate and sporadic, with each side arguing against the other.

Consensus on the issue may lead to a formal mechanism by which the extent of such charges can be decided, officials added.

The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) – which has all three private telecom service providers (TSPs) Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea as its members – has suggested