The Union Cabinet Thursday approved the National Telecom Policy - 2012 that aims to do away with roaming charges, introduce a pan-India mobile permit that will enable mobile phone firms to offer all communication services, allow operators to share and trade spectrum and facilitate consolidation in the sector.
Here is a look at the salient features of the policy:
Key targets
Provide 'broadband on demand' by 2015. Achieve target of 175 million broadband users by 2017 and 600 million by 2020
Increase rural tele-density from 35% to 60% by 2017 and to 100% by 2020,To make India a global hub for telecom equipment manufacturing,Majority of telecom networks to be domestically manufactured by 2020
Increase rural tele-density from 35% to 60% by 2017 and to 100% by 2020,To make India a global hub for telecom equipment manufacturing,Majority of telecom networks to be domestically manufactured by 2020
Finance - Rationalise taxes affecting the sector to make services more affordable Create telecom finance corporation to facilitate investment in the sector
Security
Building capacity for lawful interception and monitoring
Standardisation of telecom equipment
Govt and private sector to share cost of implementing security measures
Consumer Initiatives - Broadband speeds to be revised to 512 kbps & further to 2 Mbps by 2015 & 100 Mbps by 2020
Number portability to be enhanced to allow subscribers to retain their mobile numbers when moving anywhere within India
Strengthen grievance redressal mechanisms
Abolish roaming charges
Regulator to enhance consumer awareness on tariffs, services
Number portability to be enhanced to allow subscribers to retain their mobile numbers when moving anywhere within India
Strengthen grievance redressal mechanisms
Abolish roaming charges
Regulator to enhance consumer awareness on tariffs, services
Spectrum - Free 300 MHz for commercial telephony by 2017 and another 200 MHz by 2020
All future spectrum allocations will be priced at market rates
Allow spectrum pooling, sharing & trading; to promote use of white space with low-power devices
All future spectrum allocations will be priced at market rates
Allow spectrum pooling, sharing & trading; to promote use of white space with low-power devices
For Mobile Permits - Licences to be delinked from spectrum
To put in place legal, regulatory and licensing framework for convergence of services, networks and devices
Allow sharing of networks
Unified licensing regime to allow operators to offer any service
Relaxed M&A norms to allow consolidation
To put in place legal, regulatory and licensing framework for convergence of services, networks and devices
Allow sharing of networks
Unified licensing regime to allow operators to offer any service
Relaxed M&A norms to allow consolidation
Role of Regulator & DoT Restructuring 
Strong & independent regulator with more powers
DoT to look after licensing and spectrum allocation, ministry to focus on policy making
Review Indian telegraph Act with stakeholders
Strengthen DoT units to monitor and enforce licence conditions
Strengthen public grievances cell
DoT to look after licensing and spectrum allocation, ministry to focus on policy making
Review Indian telegraph Act with stakeholders
Strengthen DoT units to monitor and enforce licence conditions
Strengthen public grievances cell
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