Initial fears of Internet access charges rising by 6-12 per cent following the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India recommendations to impose an annual licence fee for Internet Service Providers appear to be unfounded.
Going by the guidelines issued in August 2007, the ISP licence was valid for 15 years and the one-time entry fee was Rs 20 lakh (Rs 2 million) and Rs 10 lakh (Rs 1 million) for Category-A and category-B circles, respectively. The new amendments will come into effect immediately.