Tag: K Rajaraman

  • K Rajaraman gets additional charge as MeitY secretary

    K Rajaraman gets additional charge as MeitY secretary

    Mumbai: Telecom secretary K Rajaraman has been given additional responsibility as secretary of the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) following the retirement of Ajay Prakash Sawhney.

    The department of personnel and training on Monday notified of several new appointments on account of retirement of several bureaucrats in various government departments.

    Rajaraman is a 1989 batch IAS officer from Tamil Nadu and will take charge with immediate effect “till the appointment of a regular incumbent or until further order, whichever is earlier,” said the ministry of personnel and training.

    Rajaraman took over as telecom secretary after Anshu Prakash retired last year. Earlier, he had worked as additional secretary in the department of economic affairs.

  • 5G auctions likely in May

    5G auctions likely in May

    Mumbai: 5G spectrum auction in India is expected to be held in May this year subject to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) submitting its final recommendations on various aspects of the sale process by March, said a senior official of the telecom department.

    Trai is expected to respond to DoTs request for recommendations on modalities such as reserve price, band plan, block size, and quantum of spectrum to be auctioned by next month, following which the department will initiate the auction.

    “Trai has indicated that they will send it (recommendations) by March. Thereafter, it will take us a month to make a decision around it,” Telecom secretary K Rajaraman told PTI.

    Rajaraman also informed that the DoT has already selected MSTC as the auctioneer for the upcoming auction.

    Meanwhile, the telecom regulator has asked telecom and satcom companies to submit any additional comments before 15 February, especially with details around methods for valuation of the spectrum. While both stakeholders have argued for a steep cut in the band price, they remain divided on other aspects including the auction of a high-frequency range of 27.5- 28.5 GHz.

  • Trai to come up with recommendations to facilitate 5G rollout

    Trai to come up with recommendations to facilitate 5G rollout

    Mumbai: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) will soon come up with recommendations to facilitate telecom connectivity and for easing out network rollout issues being faced by telecom companies, especially with regard to 5G.  

    During a virtual event organised by Digital Infrastructure Providers Association (DIPA), Trai chairman PD Vaghela said that it will be difficult to get 5G coverage inside buildings as signals will be transmitted on high frequencies which cover very small distances.

    “Holistic approach will be required to ensure availability of digital infrastructure in building complexes, that also in a non-discriminate manner. There is a huge problem in getting access to the buildings by the infrastructure providers, telecom service providers and other players. We have already prepared a consultation paper and very soon we will come out with a recommendation. This will require a change in by-laws and working with the states very closely,” stated Vaghela.

    Minister of state for telecom Devusinh Chauhan added that digital connectivity empowers people on the ground, and the government is committed to supporting telecom infrastructure companies in this context. “Realising the importance of connectivity, states will also give precedence to connectivity over revenues in the near future,” he further said.

    Telecom secretary K Rajaraman said that the recently announced telecom reforms are a step towards bringing the cost of operations of telecom services in the country further down.

    The telecom department said that it is working towards resolving network rollout issues being faced by telecom companies, as well as enhancing the ease of doing business in the sector.