NEW DELHI: The telecom industry has highlighted that investments in networks will increase multifold with the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI). However, while carriers deploy significant capital, some large traffic generators (LTGs) continue to enjoy infrastructure free riding, making business unviable and uneconomic for carriers. becomes.
The industry has reiterated its demand for revenue sharing from LTG, citing examples of major economies such as the United States, the European Union, South Korea and Brazil that are devising solutions to the problem.
But technology groups and app makers have denounced such requests from carriers in the past, saying such moves violate net neutrality, also lead to higher subscriber costs and stifle innovation. carriers deny this claim.
According to industry body Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), the convergence of diverse industries and technologies will lead to the emergence of more bandwidth-hungry applications, putting additional pressure on networks. It is expected that a large amount of investment will be required.
“For example, the advent of AI is creating a need to incorporate graphics processing units (GPUs) into systems that compute and process data. Such large investments need to be properly planned by telcos. , fair share contribution will help balance the cash outflow,” COAI said in a letter dated April 18 to Communications Secretary Neeraj Mittal.
Apart from that, future 5G and 6G will also require deployment at the edge with enhanced network capabilities. New applications will put more strain on your network.
“All these factors increase network costs, making this burden uneconomical and unfeasible for Indian telcos, with potentially drastic consequences. “Foreign LTGs continue to enjoy free access on the network without paying responsible dues/taking action,” COAI said.
COAI cited the example of the US, where the 2023 Act to Lower Broadband Costs for Consumers has been introduced in the US Senate and calls for various “edge service providers” that generate disproportionately large amounts of traffic to contribute to infrastructure costs. Gender is clearly defined.
Similarly, the EU is working on legislation that would require major generators of digital data and video traffic to contribute to the costs of building and maintaining broadband networks.
The industry had earlier shared estimates that LTG would result in an additional investment of Rs 10,000 crore and that it would be unrealistic to offset the cost with increased duty. The telco said this calculation was based on today's data transmission requirements, and the future situation is even more alarming.
“It is imperative that governments pay significant attention at this time and address this important issue. This is a global discussion and a step in the right direction by India will help create the right precedent for the world.” “may be the case,” the industry group said.
The letter emphasized that the responsible contribution of those who benefit immensely from India's telecommunications infrastructure and networks is paramount to ensuring a healthy and progressive future for 'Digital India'. .
