Telecommunications Act, 2023 to be partially effective from June 26

The Central government has announced that specific provisions of the Telecommunications Act, 2023 will take effect on June 26, 2024. This notification was published by the Union Ministry of Communications on June 21. The Act, which received presidential assent in December 2023, aims to update and consolidate laws related to telecommunications services and networks, spectrum assignment, and related issues. It replaces older laws including the Indian Telegraph Act of 1885 and the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act of 1933. \r

One key provision mandates biometric authentication for users to prevent fraud, raising privacy concerns. The Act retains interception and surveillance provisions from the Telegraph Act, allowing the government to control telecom networks during emergencies and to intercept communications for state security, public order, or prevention of crimes. It also overhauls the licensing regime, streamlining multiple licenses into a single authorization, and introduces new rules for spectrum management, including reclaiming unused spectrum.