Government bars communication infra providers from sharing data outside India

Key facts

• The Department of Telecom (DoT) barred communication infrastructure providers from sharing any data outside India under a new authorisation framework.
• All telecommunication network data, logs, and information must be stored exclusively within India, and no copies can be routed, shared, or made available outside the country.
• The authorisation framework, issued under the Telecommunications Act 2023, covers infrastructure providers, digital connectivity infrastructure providers, internet exchange point providers, satellite earth station gateways, cloud-hosted telecommunication network providers, and mobile number portability providers.
• The government may access and inspect sites, including user premises, to monitor compliance, and can act without notice if immediate action is necessary in public interest.
• A new 'Cloud-Hosted Telecommunication Network Provider' category features a low entry fee of ₹10 Lakhs and zero annual authorisation fee.
• Infrastructure providers are solely responsible for obtaining right of way permissions, and any delays in such permissions cannot be a ground for non-compliance with the rules.