Lok Sabha Question No. 531 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-20
Subject: Blocking of websites
Ministry: ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Dr. T. Sumathy (a) Thamizhachi Thangapandian

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## LOKSABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.531

TO BE ANSWERED ON: 20.07.2022

## BLOCKING OF WEBSITES

## 531.    DR. T SUMATHY (a) THAMIZHACHI THANGAPANDIAN:

Will the Minister of ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has taken any steps with regard to blocking of several websites by Internet Service Providers and if not, reason therefor?;

(b) the details of the current status of 4G network in rural areas along with the Government plan to subsidize communication processes in rural settings;

(c) the details of the major domains in which the telecom industry holds financial debts and the manner in which the Government plans on mitigating them;

(d) whether the market is at the verge of becoming a duopoly (Jio and Airtel) and the steps taken to ensure that adequate competition is present in the telecom industry; and

(e)  whether  the  Government  is  aiming  to  address  key  hurdles  that  would  slow  down  the integration  of  5G  in  the  market,  namely  Low  Fiberization  Footprint  with  30%  fibre connectivity across India High Spectrum Pricing compared to global average and banning of foreign telecom original equipment manufacturers, which most of 5G is dependent on?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI RAJEEV CHANDRASEKHAR)

(a):  Internet  Service  Providers  (ISPs)  does  not  block  websites  suo-moto.  In  line  with  the objective of the Government to ensure an Open, Safe & Trusted and Accountable Internet for all its users, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issues directions for blocking  for  access  of  information  by  public  under  provision  of  section  69A  of  the Information  Technology  (IT)  Act,  2000  and  the  Rules  therein,  namely,  the  Information Technology (Procedure  and Safeguards for Blocking for Access of  Information  for  Public) Rules, 2009. MeitY issue directions to Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to direct the  Internet  Service  Providers  (ISPs)  to  block  access  of  website/domains.  DoT,  being licensors  to  ISPs,  directs  them  to  block  website/domain  when  it  receives  directions  for blocking from MeitY or a competent court order.

(b): Mobile  services  are  provided  in  a  phased  manner  by  the  Government  and  Telecom Services Provider (TSPs) in the uncovered remote villages in the country. The Government has the following schemes under Universal Service Obligation Fund in this regard:

- 1) 354  Uncovered  Villages  Scheme,  covering  villages  of  Jammu  &  Kashmir,  Ladakh, Himachal  Pradesh,  Uttar  Pradesh,  Bihar,  Rajasthan,  Gujarat,  Uttarakhand  and  other priority areas.
- 2) Comprehensive  Telecom  Development  Plan  (CTDP)  for  mobile  connectivity  in  the North Eastern Region
- 3) Scheme for providing mobile services in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected areas
- 4) Schemes for providing mobile services in Aspirational Districts
- 5) Scheme for providing mobile services in Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

As  per  data  provided  by  Telecom  Services  Providers  (TSP)  and  field  units  of  the Department  of  Telecommunications,  out  of  5,97,618  inhabited  census  villages  in  the country (as per Census-2011), 5,57,179 numbers of villages have got mobile connectivity through 4G technology, till December, 2020.

(c) and (d): Step taken by the Government to address the issue of financial stress in the telecom sector in September 2021 are as under:

- 1) Rationalization of Definition of Adjusted Gross Revenue.
- 2) Moratorium/Deferment of up to four years in annual payments of dues arising out of the AGR judgment and spectrum purchased in past auctions.
- 3) Option to the TSPs to pay the interest amount arising due to the said deferment of payment by way of equity.
- 4) Rationalization of  Interest  rates  and  removal  of  Penalties  for  delayed  payments  of License Fee (LF)/Spectrum Usage Charge (SUC).
- 5) Reduction  in  Bank  Guarantees  BG  requirements  to  20%  of  the  stipulated  amount against License Fee (LF) and other similar Levies.
- 6) Removal of levy of Spectrum Usage Charges (SUC) on the spectrum to be acquired in future auctions.
- 7) For spectrum auctions held henceforth, Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) will not be  required  to  submit  Bank  Guarantees  (BGs)  to  securitize  spectrum  auction instalment payments.
- 8) For the current spectrum auction Telecom Service Providers have no compulsion of upfront payment.  They can pay yearly instalments.
- 9) The entry and exit barriers for License and Spectrum have been released.
- 10) To encourage investment, 100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) under automatic route permitted in Telecom Sector. All safeguards will apply.

These reforms are expected to promote healthy competition, protect interests of consumers, increase  &  encourage  investments,  and  reduce  regulatory  burden  on  Telecom  Service Providers (TSPs).

(e): Based upon the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recommendation dated 11.04.2022, Union Cabinet in its meeting dated 14-06-2022 has approved the reserve prices in various bands for Spectrum Auction 2022. In most of the LSA-Band combinations, reserve prices, when compared to that of 2021 Auction were reduced up to 40 percent. For example, the reduction of total reserve prices per MHz for pan-India, for Spectrum Auction 2022 with respect to that of Spectrum Auction 2021, in 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 1800 MHz and 3300 MHz bands  are 40.33%, 23.71%, 35.7% and 35.83% respectively.

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