News Broadcasting
ISP license norms amended to permit VPN services
NEW DELHI: The department of telecommunications today, decided to extend the scope of the licence conditions of Internet Service Providers (ISP), thereby allowing them to provide managed Virtual Private Network services to corporates and individuals.
In accordance with the decision, the ISP licences (both licences without Internet telephony and with Internet telephony) will have an enabling provision for VPN services by ISPs under specified terms and conditions, according to a statement put out by the telecom ministry today.
The annual licence fee will be at 8 per cent of the gross revenue generated under the licence. The ISPs would be charged one-time non-refundable entry fee of Rs 100 million, RS 20 million and 10 million for category A, B, and C, respectively. ISP-with-VPN licensee will be permitted to lay optical fibre cable or use radio links for provision of the services in its service area.
Further, ISPs shall be free to enter into mutually agreed commercial agreement with infrastructure service providers for sharing of infrastructure. The ISPs, however, shall not engage in reselling bandwidth directly or indirectly.
According to the government, this decision will help as many 388 licensed ISPs, more particularly 61 all-India (category A) ISP licensees, to offer VPN services to their customers, thus adding to their revenue stream from Internet Access Services.
VPN is a service where a customer perceives to have been provided with a private network, which actually is configured over a shared public network. Benefits of VPN include secure communication over public network and guaranteed quality of service.
A high-level DoT committee had examined the matter and had observed that while on one hand such VPN services were not under the scope of the present ISP licences, on the other hand it would be desirable to permit ISPs to provide such services in the present day liberalised telecom environment in the country.
The services, which are technologically possible, should be allowed, while at the same time ensuring level playing field to all the service providers. Such VPN services that provide a platform for utilisation of bandwidth in a very cost effective and efficient manner are emerging services internationally. This facility is necessary for the corporate world in meeting their growing communication needs of inter-office connectivity to send/transfer data securely and such services are widely available in telecom sector globally.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Kolkata Town Hall on Hooghly River
‘Bhalobasa Bengal Inspiring Bharat’ event on April 20 brings cultural icons, trailblazing women and leaders aboard a cruise to celebrate Bengal’s enduring influence.
MUMBAI: Bengal is about to make fresh waves on the Hooghly and this time the current is pure conversation. CNN-News18 is taking its iconic Town Hall format to the waters of the iconic Hooghly River on 20 April 2026 with a special edition titled ‘Bhalobasa Bengal – Inspiring Bharat’. The floating event will celebrate the state’s rich cultural legacy and how its ideas, creativity and spirit continue to shape the rest of the country.
The unique riverside setting draws on Bengal’s history as a cradle of reform, art and intellectual thought. The speaker line-up mirrors that diversity: cultural heavyweights Mithun Chakraborty and Sreenanda Shankar will share the stage with trailblazing “Devis” such as Tanya Sanyal (India’s first woman firefighter in aviation), Ipsita Chakraborty (Kolkata’s first woman bartender) and Reshma Nilofer Visalakshi (Nari Shakti awardee and marine pilot). Music will flow through the celebrated pianist-vocalist duo Sourendro and Soumyojit, while public life and governance will be represented by Smriti Irani, Leander Paes, Saira Shah Halim, Keya Ghosh, Rekha Patra, Roopa Ganguly and Babul Supriyo.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director, Rahul Shivshankar, said the event honours voices that carry Bengal’s legacy forward. Smriti Mehra, CEO – English & Business News, Network18, added that Bengal’s stories resonate far beyond its borders, especially as the state heads into polls.
From the first woman to battle flames in the skies to legendary actors who shaped Indian cinema, the gathering promises a rich mix of inspiration, courage and candid dialogue. In a city where culture has always flowed as freely as the river itself, CNN-News18 is turning the Hooghly into a floating forum for ideas that matter.
Tune in on 20 April on CNN-News18, CTV and YouTube to catch Bengal’s heartbeat in full flow.
