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Tag: National Telecom Policy

  • TRAI releases paper on National Telecom Policy 2018

    TRAI releases paper on National Telecom Policy 2018

    MUMBAI: Seeking views from stakeholders on the new telecom policy, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) today released a consultation paper on inputs for formulation of the National Telecom Policy 2018.

    The Department of Telecommunications, through its letter dated 21 August 2017, requested the TRAI to suggest its policy inputs for formulation of the policy. Based on preliminary discussions with various stakeholders, including telecom service providers, telecom equipment manufacturers, industry associations, consulting firms, and cloud service providers, the regulator has prepared inputs for formulating the National Telecom Policy 2018 in line with the technological advancements in the sector and customer aspirations  for  digital services.

    The regulator is seeking views of stakeholders for formulating the policy by 19 January 2018.

    “National Telecom Policy-2018 can have twin goals viz. facilitate development of communication infrastructure and services to achieve inclusive socio-economic growth in the country,” the paper stated.

    “This policy would set the mission and objectives to be accomplished by the end of calendar year 2022, when India will be celebrating its 75 years of independence,” the paper added while underlining that the policy would also specify the strategies to accomplish such objectives as well as capacity building in general.

    The paper has set out the mission and objectives for the policy besides outlining common strategies to help India leapfrog to amongst the top-50 nations in international rankings in terms of network readiness, communications systems and services, and to attract an investment of USD 100 billion in telecommunications.

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  • M2M communications feedback time extended till 12 January

    M2M communications feedback time extended till 12 January

    NEW DELHI: As M2M communication is an upcoming vertical covering variety of issues, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has for the second time extended the date for responses to its paper to 12 January 2017 and for counter-comments up to the 19 January 2017.

    Noting that no further extension will be given, TRAI has said that the second extension follows the request by industry associations due to cross sectoral impact of M2M and lnternet of Things.

    TRAI has written to all the state governments and union territories and various ministries of central government seeking their inputs for the sectors those are foreseen to get impacted with the deployment of M2M devices. Inputs from wider consultation with state governments & UTs and various Ministries will be valuable in forming a comprehensive recommendation by the Authority.

    The Consultation Paper is on “Spectrum, Roaming and QoS related requirements in Machine-to-Machine (M2M) Communications” dated 18 October 2016.

    In the paper which posed 16 questions, TRAI said the digital space had witnessed exponential evolution in the last couple of years and would continue to evolve rapidly. The latest entrant to the digital space is the Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications.

    Expansion and evolution of networks, falling costs of hardware like sensors and actuators, increasing battery life, new business models etc are the major factors leading to the emergence of services like remote monitoring of patients, automatic security systems, connected cars, smart grid etc. The connected devices deliver innovative services by utilising the M2M communication technologies.

    M2M communication has potential to bring substantial social and economic benefits to governments, citizens, end-users and businesses through increase in productivity and competitiveness, improvements in service delivery, optimal use of scarce resources as well as creation of new jobs.

    Although forecasts indicate a significant opportunity in this field, this industry is still in a nascent stage. The M2M ecosystem is composed of a large number of diverse players, deploying innovative services across different networks, technologies and devices. Providing clarity and consistency of regulation for equivalent services, as well as policies that enable growth, will play a significant role in fully capturing its opportunity to stimulate this market.

    The government has recognised the potential of M2M communication and emphasized the same in the National Telecom Policy (NTP) 2012.

    Accordingly in May 2015, the Government had come out with its ‘National Telecom M2M roadmap’ with the purpose of boosting development of M2M based products and to provide efficient citizen centric services in India.

    The paper is available on the TRAI website trai.gov.in

  • M2M communications feedback time extended till 12 January

    M2M communications feedback time extended till 12 January

    NEW DELHI: As M2M communication is an upcoming vertical covering variety of issues, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has for the second time extended the date for responses to its paper to 12 January 2017 and for counter-comments up to the 19 January 2017.

    Noting that no further extension will be given, TRAI has said that the second extension follows the request by industry associations due to cross sectoral impact of M2M and lnternet of Things.

    TRAI has written to all the state governments and union territories and various ministries of central government seeking their inputs for the sectors those are foreseen to get impacted with the deployment of M2M devices. Inputs from wider consultation with state governments & UTs and various Ministries will be valuable in forming a comprehensive recommendation by the Authority.

    The Consultation Paper is on “Spectrum, Roaming and QoS related requirements in Machine-to-Machine (M2M) Communications” dated 18 October 2016.

    In the paper which posed 16 questions, TRAI said the digital space had witnessed exponential evolution in the last couple of years and would continue to evolve rapidly. The latest entrant to the digital space is the Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications.

    Expansion and evolution of networks, falling costs of hardware like sensors and actuators, increasing battery life, new business models etc are the major factors leading to the emergence of services like remote monitoring of patients, automatic security systems, connected cars, smart grid etc. The connected devices deliver innovative services by utilising the M2M communication technologies.

    M2M communication has potential to bring substantial social and economic benefits to governments, citizens, end-users and businesses through increase in productivity and competitiveness, improvements in service delivery, optimal use of scarce resources as well as creation of new jobs.

    Although forecasts indicate a significant opportunity in this field, this industry is still in a nascent stage. The M2M ecosystem is composed of a large number of diverse players, deploying innovative services across different networks, technologies and devices. Providing clarity and consistency of regulation for equivalent services, as well as policies that enable growth, will play a significant role in fully capturing its opportunity to stimulate this market.

    The government has recognised the potential of M2M communication and emphasized the same in the National Telecom Policy (NTP) 2012.

    Accordingly in May 2015, the Government had come out with its ‘National Telecom M2M roadmap’ with the purpose of boosting development of M2M based products and to provide efficient citizen centric services in India.

    The paper is available on the TRAI website trai.gov.in

  • Definition of broadband amplified in consonance with advancing technology

    Definition of broadband amplified in consonance with advancing technology

    NEW DELHI: The government has amended the definition of broadband in the Telecom Consumers Complaint Redressal Regulations, 2012 to amplify the definition of broadband and to bring it in consonance with the Notification issued by the Department of Telecom in July last year.

     

     Thus, under the Telecom Consumers Complaint Redressal (Third Amendment)   Regulations 2014, “”Broadband” or “Broadband Service” means a data connection that is able to support interactive services including internet access and has the capability of minimum download speed of 512 kilo bits per second to an individual subscriber from the point of presence (POP) of the service provider intending to provide Broadband service.”

     

     This amendment is also in consonance with the National Telecom Policy 2012.

     

    Earlier in the Broadband Policy 2004, Broadband was defined as “An always on data connection that is able to support interactive services including internet access and has the capability of the minimum download speed of 256 kilo bits per second (kbps) to an individual subscriber from the Point of Presence (POP) of the service provider intending to provide Broadband service where multiple such individual Broadband connections are aggregated and the  subscriber is able to access these interactive services including  the  Internet  through  this POP. The interactive services will exclude any services for which  a separate licence is specifically required, for example, real-time voice transmission, except to the extent that it is presently permitted under ISP licence with Internet Telephony.”

  • TRAI should reconsider Spectrum Trading, says DoT

    TRAI should reconsider Spectrum Trading, says DoT

    NEW DELHI: A Department of Telecommunications (DoT) committee has for the present turned down any proposal to permit spectrum trading.

    In a report to the Telecom Commission, this Committee has however admitted that this finds place in the National Telecom Policy (2012). It has said there is need for a more holistic view on the matter to prevent ‘some unintended consequences’.

    It feels that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) should be asked to give a detailed recommendation in this regard. At present, only right-to-usage of spectrum is auctioned and the legal framework under which it can be treated as transferable and tradable in whole or part needs to be prepared, the Committee added.

    According to the report, any Presidential Reference on this issue should be in conformity with the Supreme Court order in the 2G spectrum allocation case.

    The Committee says there is need for assessment of market sale of spectrum. This would assume more importance in merger and acquisition (M&A) cases, for assessment of the fair value of spectrum, where the entire business might be taken over as a going concern along with the spectrum, without separate determination of the price. It should also have provisions to curb fly-by-night operators entering for only trading benefits.

    Earlier, the DoT had sought TRAI’s views on the conditions and timing for allowing trading of what got through auction, the quantity for trading by an operator, revenue payable and the legal, regulatory and technical framework. This followed a recommendation by Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia to Communications and Information Technology minister Kapil Sibal to allow trading of spectrum. The matter was also discussed in a meeting of the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) on telecom headed by Finance Minister P Chidambaram.

    The DoT committee has said TRAI should reconsider sharing of spectrum. Guidelines are to be finalised for the sharing of spectrum in accordance with the TRAI suggestion on a spectrum management and licencing framework. However, the present recommendation for a flat spectrum usage charge would impact the previous recommendation, it felt.

  • Business chambers welcome hike in FDI in telecom

    Business chambers welcome hike in FDI in telecom

    NEW DELHI: The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and the Indo – American Chamber of Commerce (IACC) has welcomed the decision of the government to increase the foreign direct investment in the telecom sector to 100 per cent.

     

    According to a decision on FDI taken in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, it had been decided to allow up to 49 per cent FDI by the automatic route for basic and cellular services etc., and from 49 per cent to 100 per cent through the Foreign Investments Promotion Board.

     

    According to FICCI, the decision on enhancement of FDI limit in the Indian telecom sector from 74 per cent to 100 per cent is a positive sign and showcases government’s commitment towards improving the current investment sentiment in the sector and aiding the telecom industry to recuperate from its debt issues. “Along with the National Telecom Policy 2012 and other necessary reforms, this pro-industry announcement will benefit the Indian economy and consumers in the long term,” said FICCI president Naina Lal Kidwai.

     

    Welcoming the proactive steps taken by the government to ease the foreign direct investment (FDI) norms in the country, primarily to stem the deteriorating current account deficit, Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC) national president Shourya Mandal said, “These measures are inevitable against the backdrop of steep fall in the cross-country capital flows and subsequent heightened competition among the nations to attract the limited capital.”

     

    In a statement Mandal said, “Undoubtedly, we have to put in place a set of checks and balances to uphold our sovereignty and interest of the domestic industry, while attracting FDI. Our rules and regulations are framed taking cognizance of that factor. Unwarranted polemics on that count should be avoided to chase our goal of transforming ourselves into a developed country from an emerging economy.”

     

  • Spectrum delinked from licences to increase availability via auctions: Deora

    Spectrum delinked from licences to increase availability via auctions: Deora

    NEW DELHI: In view of shortage of spectrum for terrestrial broadcasting and telecom sectors, spectrum has been delinked from licences and market discovered price mechanism by successfully introducing auctions.

    Minister of state for Communications and Information Technology Milind Deora told Parliament that the National Telecom Policy-2012 (NTP-2012) stipulates, among others, to re-farm and allot alternative bands or media to service providers from time to time to make spectrum available for introduction of new technologies for telecom applications.

    He said an Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) constituted on 26 November 2009 has made recommendations relating to measures for early introduction of spectrum efficient digital terrestrial broadcasting for vacation of spectrum for other services in line with international practices.

    Its terms of reference also includes recommending measures for vacation of adequate additional spectrum by the existing large users such as Defence, Space, Paramilitary, etc., in a time bound manner for the growth of mobile telephony and broadband sectors in the country.

    Some of the telecom service providers have reported interference in their mobile networks in some of the service areas. The Defence Ministry has been requested to coordinate alternate frequency in such service areas. Spectrum has been identified in different frequency bands to meet the requirements of Defence which varies service area wise.