Telecom Regulator Authority Of India

Telecom regulator issues consultation paper for comments

Trai's extra ₹500 per urban subscriber plan rejected; DoT opts for 5 per cent adjusted gross revenue (AGR) fee for satellites, citing difficulty in monitoring rural-urban distinctions

Trai held talks with RBI, Sebi, and DoT to fast-track a digital consent system that lets users block spam calls and revoke permissions via a tamper-proof interface

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has received applications from five entities expressing interest in being empanelled as digital connectivity rating agencies (DCRAs) who will evaluate properties according to the regulator's prescribed rules and norms, according to Chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti. TRAI is hoping for an early launch of the entire system, with Lahoti noting that the first round of empanelment could take place as soon as this month. Some projects and properties have already started making enquiries about the rating system, he told PTI. The proposed 'star rating' system will evaluate properties on digital connectivity, similar to green building or energy efficiency rating systems. New as well as existing buildings can be rated under the proposed system, and TRAI hopes that framework may even nudge builders to "retrofit" existing buildings with good digital connectivity infrastructure to get a favourable rating. To support this, TRAI is developing a digital .

Starlink and other satcom firms may launch services in India with unlimited data plans priced under ₹840/month, aiming rapid user growth despite high spectrum and licence fees

Telecom operators like Jio, Airtel, and Vi have engaged vendors for a caller ID service on all smartphone screens without requiring any third-party app like Truecaller

Streaming giants Netflix, Amazon, and other industry bodies oppose Trai's proposal to regulate content delivery networks, warning it could affect investments and harm India's digital economy

The disagreement centres around whether satellite broadband spectrum should be auctioned or administratively allocated in India

The telecom regulator maintains that telcos are responsible for controlling unsolicited commercial communications under the Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations

The government should enforce traceability and user privacy rules on WhatsApp, Telegram, Google Meet as well as other calling and messaging apps along with telecom operators as such platforms provide similar services using internet network, industry body COAI said. Telecom operators want the government and regulator to enforce message traceability and user privacy rule on these apps to curb spam and illegal activities as majority of messaging traffic has moved to data networks from SMS, COAI said. In a recent direction, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has mandated telecom operators to enhance message traceability. The regulator has mandated that the trail of all messages from senders to recipients must be traceable from November 1, 2024. Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), which represents Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea and others, said that while the telecom service providers are working jointly with the Trai and the other stakeholders on th

Sector regulator TRAI on Tuesday directed telcos to disconnect all telecom resources of unregistered telemarketers found making spam calls, and to blacklist them for up to two years. Further, TRAI has asked telcos to comply immediately with its latest directive and submit regular updates on action taken in this regard on a fortnightly basis. Issuing its directive to telcos, TRAI said this "decisive action" is expected to significantly reduce spam calls and provide relief to consumers. TRAI in a release said it has issued "directives to access providers to disconnect all telecom resources of unregistered senders for making spam calls and to blacklist such senders under the Telecom Commercial Communication Customer Preference Regulations, 2018" regulations. Towards this, TRAI has mandated all access service providers to stop voice promotional calls whether pre-recorded or computer generated or otherwise from all unregistered senders or telemarketers (UTMs) using bulk connections or .

The telcos have submitted details of the hike within the stipulated seven days

Telecom companies said the new rules will impose additional costs on them, and the benefits to consumers will be minimal

Trai has proposed enlarging the audience measurement system's sample size to better reflect India's diversity, and called for fostering competition among multiple rating agencies

Telecom operators are assessing the feasibility of CNAP, where both number and caller name will be displayed during incoming calls

Operators said such a moratorium is needed on spectrum bought in auctions from next year due to significant capital expenditure incurred in deploying 5G services

Currently, 5G service users encounter various challenges including poor call quality, call drops, inability to connect to 5G despite activating phone settings, and negligible disparity in speeds

The telcos already have ample spectrum with them. With little scope for 5G monetisation, telecom companies do not see the need to spend towards acquiring more spectrum

The original draft of the Bill contained a framework to waive the license fees for financially troubled companies. Had these provisions made it to the final bill, things would have been easier for VI

Spectrum allocation is holding up satellite broadband