Government rolls out new telecom rules under Telecommunications Act 2023

MUMBAI: India’s telecom rulebook has got a reboot. Swapping paperwork for portals and colonial-era laws for a digital-first framework, the government is rewiring how the country’s telecom sector will be regulated in the years ahead.

The Centre has outlined the implementation roadmap for the Telecommunications Act, 2023, saying the new law is simplifying regulatory processes, encouraging innovation and strengthening safeguards against spam and cyber fraud as India modernises its telecom ecosystem.

Replying to an unstarred question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Communications Dr Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar said multiple provisions of the Act have already been brought into force in phases.

According to the government, Sections 1, 2, 10 to 30, 42 to 44, 46, 47, 50 to 58, 61 and 62 came into effect on 26 June 2024, followed by Sections 6 to 8, 48 and 59(b) on 5 July 2024. More recently, Sections 3(1) and 3(6) were enforced on 23 June 2026.

A key feature of the legislation is the replacement of the legacy licensing framework with a simplified authorisation-based regime, aimed at improving ease of doing business and reducing procedural complexity for telecom service providers.

To operationalise the new framework, the government has notified five sets of rules this year. These include the Telecommunications (Authorisation for Provision of Principal Telecommunication Services) Rules, 2026, Miscellaneous Telecommunication Services Rules, and Captive Telecommunication Services Rules on 23 June 2026, followed by the Radio Equipment Possession Authorisation Rules on 8 July 2026 and the Telecommunication Network Authorisation Rules on 20 July 2026.

The Department of Telecommunications has also launched a unified digital Authorisation Portal, allowing companies to obtain approvals, migrate to the new regulatory regime, calculate fees and complete compliance requirements through a single online platform.

Beyond regulatory reforms, the government said the expanded Digital Bharat Nidhi will support universal connectivity, research and development, pilot projects, emerging communication technologies and innovation through Regulatory Sandboxes, while continuing to strengthen rural telecom infrastructure.

On consumer protection, the government highlighted measures already in place to combat unsolicited commercial communication and cyber-enabled financial fraud.

Spam and commercial messages continue to be governed by the Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations, 2018, administered by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. The framework includes customer preference registration, complaint mechanisms, AI-based spam detection, dedicated numbering series and mandatory registration of senders and telemarketers.

The Department of Telecommunications has also rolled out a series of technology-led initiatives, including the Sanchar Saathi platform for reporting suspected fraud and managing lost or stolen mobile phones, the Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP) for secure coordination among stakeholders, systems to detect spoofed international calls, and the Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI), which classifies mobile numbers based on their likelihood of being linked to financial fraud.

The reforms mark another step in India’s transition towards a digital-first telecom regulatory framework, with the government seeking to balance ease of doing business, innovation and stronger consumer protection under a single modern legal architecture.