As mobile penetration approaches saturation level, voice traffic will plateau and rising data traffic will be the driver of demand for more telecom infrastructure.

"Issues in the TRAI paper arise from the revenue streams of TSPs, which are heavily voice dependent while demand for infrastructure is driven by rising data usage. A revenue stream calibrated to the demand/consumption of data is the way forward to ensure the demand driver and revenue generator are aligned," NASSCOM said in its response to the TRAI paper.

The industry body also stressed on the need to understand the guiding principles of net neutrality, which is about unfettered user right of making an informed choice in deciding access to legal content/services on the Internet.

"We believe that users' right to choose will be compromised when regulations fail to proscribe price and non-price based discrimination by TSPs. The downstream impact is needless data demand curtailment," Nasscom noted.

The industry body also suggested that universal principles of net neutrality, access for all and leveraging Internet for development growth should be upheld.

"There should be no roadblocks to rapid adoption of ICT enabled models and innovation that are expected to drive the digital revolution in the country."

No rights or discretion to TSPs to censor or block legal content; to throttle lawful Internet traffic; determine how users use Internet in the form of "normal net management or commercial practices".

Telecom service providers should not indulge in double dipping (charging) for data from both consumer and application/platform provider.

"It is important to dispel the myth that Internet platforms and OTT services are not regulated. The Information Technology Act and its rules pertaining to intermediaries and interception are applicable to them, as also the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the Indian Penal Code," Chandrashekhar added.

Also Read: 5 Whatsapp Features That Let You Keep Track Of Your Texting

2 Simple Steps To Download Your Entire Google Search History