GSMA chief urges unified regulation to curb telecom-enabled scams and boost 5G services

GSMA Director General Vivek Badrinath told PTI that despite recent simplifications, telecom rules are still heavily regulated and need further harmonisation to effectively combat fraud that spans telecoms, social media and banking. He argued that focusing on a single part of the ecosystem cannot solve the problem and urged regulators to adopt a more integrated framework. Badrinath referenced the Joint Committee of Regulators set up by TRAI to address cyber fraud, but noted that sectoral regulators still operate separately.

Turning to 5G, he said its monetisation hinges on business use cases such as factories and remote care, with network slicing being a key enabler. He clarified that offering higher-quality tiers does not equate to a two-tier internet, as long as core services remain accessible and quality of service is upheld. The GSMA chief stressed that operators should be free to innovate while remaining accountable for service standards.