In its new consultation paper on Net Neutrality, the Indian telecom regulator TRAI, appears to exceed its remit, while looking into licensing of certain Internet services that it says "can be regarded the same or similar to the services provided by [Telecom Operators]. There's one particularly odd thing that stands out: the paper itself is titled "Consultation Paper on Regulatory Framework for Over-The-Top (OTT) communication Services", but the paper "services as can be regarded the same or similar to the services provided by [Telecom Operators]" has a much wider scope, because telecom operators also provide content, music and radio, news among other things. Effectively, this is about Internet Regulation. Comments on the consultation paper 1. The TRAI doesn't have the jurisdiction to become an Internet regulator: The TRAI has been trying to expand its jurisdiction to cover the Internet, which is not its remit. It held a consultation on privacy, and then backtracked to say that it only governs privacy in the telecom sector. In its recommendation, it said that until the government passes the data protection law, "the existing Rules/ License conditions applicable to TSPs for protection of users’ privacy be made applicable to all the entities in the digital ecosystem." It then issued a regulation that in effect held that if Apple doesn't allow the TRAI SMS spam app on its App Store, then it has the authority to as telecom operators to block those devices from their network. The TRAI Act (act, amendment) talks about license conditions…
