The government is set to wind up the 37-year-old Digital Communications Commission (DCC) on Wednesday after approving the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's (TRAI) recommendations on satellite broadband services. According to The Economic Times, this marks the final closure of the commission that was earlier known as the Telecom Commission. The DCC, established in 1989, has been responsible for creating an enabling environment for competition among operators in the industry as well as ensuring the provision of qualitative and efficient telecommunications services throughout the country. Over the years, the commission has earned a reputation as a foremost telecom regulatory agency in Africa and is hoping to catalyze the use of ICTs for different aspects of national development.
The decision to disband the commission comes amid an overlap in DoT roles and changes to the telecom department's budget process. As reported by Mint, an official explained that an overlap in the work handled by DoT members and advisers has created a need to move to a different structure. The finance ministry has also taken control of the budget approval process for projects and schemes of the telecom department, further contributing to the need for organizational changes.
The DCC consists of a chairman, three full-time members and four part-time members from other government departments. According to Mint, the full-time members represent the finance, services and technology departments, while the telecom secretary serves as the ex-officio chairman. The part-time members include the chief executive officer of Niti Aayog, the economic affairs secretary, the IT secretary and the secretary in the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion. Members in technology and services verticals are due to retire in the coming days and weeks, but the government has not announced any hiring process for their replacements.
Earlier this month, the DCC approved most of TRAI's recommendations on allocating spectrum for satellite communications services. As reported by PTI, Elon Musk-led Starlink, Bharti Group-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and Reliance Industries Ltd's Jio Satellite Communications have received permission to start satellite communications services in India. However, the services cannot be rolled out without spectrum allocation and the second stage of security clearance from security agencies. The DoT will now approach the Cabinet for final approval on the pricing and allocation process for radio waves for satcom services.
Reports about the possible disbanding of the commission have surfaced several times over the years. According to Mint, in 2023, an apparent proposal to disband it did not go through as the need to continue the commission was felt. The DCC held four meetings in 2025 to consider and approve the telecom regulator's recommendations on several issues. The commission was renamed the Digital Communications Commission in 2018 from its original Telecom Commission designation.
