India's cabinet has approved the new telecom policy, replacing rules more than a decade old. The new policy aims to boost transparency and revive growth in the telecom sector, which has been rocked by a massive scandal over licensing, reports Reuters. Under the new policy, the government plans to abolish domestic roaming fees and allow users to retain their numbers even if they move from one zone to another. The policy also will separate operator licences from spectrum awards and institute market-derived pricing for radio frequencies. India will also seek to refarm spectrum held by government agencies and private operators to make way for new technologies, telecommunications minister Kapil Sibal said. The policy also seeks to ease merger and acquisition rules in the sector to facilitate consolidation in the crowded market. India will also relax rules for internet telephony under the new policy.
