Abstract
The Telecommunications Act, 2023, marks a significant reform in India's telecom sector. This research paper critically analyzes the Act's impact on online services, focusing on the ambiguity in the definition of telecommunication and its potential inclusion of Over-The-Top (OTT) services. It explores the legal and constitutional implications, socio-economic impact, and international best practices. The paper recommends clarifying the Act's scope, ensuring proportionality, and fostering stakeholder collaboration to balance innovation, regulation, and public interest in India's evolving digital landscape.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits remixing, adapting, and building upon the work for non-commercial use, provided the original work is properly cited.