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Artificial Intelligence is no longer peripheral to telecom, and is becoming integral to how networks are designed, managed, and experienced, Anil Kumar Lahoti, Chairman, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) said on Monday. AI is already enabling self-optimising networks, predictive maintenance, intelligent spectrum management, enhanced cybersecurity, improved energy efficiency, and better customer experience, he noted. "India is undergoing one of the fastest digital transformations in the world. Telecommunication and digital technologies are now core infrastructure for economic growth, governance, and social inclusion," Lahoti said, speaking at a session of the 33rd Convergence India & 11th Smart Future Cities India Expo. At the end of 2025, data subscribers in India crossed one billion mark, with 5G contributing around 400 million. The total wireless data usage was around 25 million terabytes, with 5G contributing over 10 million terabytes. "This is the size of digital ..
The entire 11,790 MHz of spectrum recommended to be put up for auction would be valued at around Rs 2.1 lakh crore at the reserve price if fully taken up, sources said after telecom regulator TRAI's suggestions on the modalities for bidding of radiowaves. Sources further said that overall, the spectrum is 19 per cent cheaper than prices recommended in 2022. According to sources, if the entire spectrum - 11,790 MHz - is assigned in the auction, it would be worth Rs 2.1 lakh crore at the base or reserve price. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) on Tuesday recommended auctioning the entire available radiowave spectrum, while proposing lower entry barriers for new players and a uniform 35 per cent spectrum cap to safeguard competition in the telecom sector. While urging the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to reclaim spectrum held by telecom companies undergoing insolvency, Trai proposed halving the net worth criteria for new entrants from Rs 100 crore to Rs 50 cror
Regulator Trai is examining the pricing issue that telecom operators are facing for deploying network in and around Adani Group-backed Navi Mumbai International Airport, a top official said on Wednesday. Trai Chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti said industry body COAI has approached it for intervention, and the regulator has sought more details around the price that telecom operators have paid in the past for setting up networks. "The letter that COAI has written has raised four issues. Three of those pertain to right-of-way. There is one issue regarding the pricing. We have asked for certain details from COAI regarding how they have entered into agreements in the past. We will study those, and then we will take further action," Lahoti said. He said that the Telecom Regulator Authority of India will not require any specific reference from the government, and it can suo-moto proceed on the matter based on reference received from the Cellular Operators Association of India. Right-of-way (RoW)
Trai Chairperson Anil Kumar Lahoti on Monday pitched for resilient AI infrastructure and strong self-regulation to proactively mitigate risks and ensure that systems remain secure, accountable and adaptable to disruptions. Addressing a Nasscom pre-summit event for the upcoming AI Impact Summit, Lahoti said the design and rollout of AI infrastructure will decide if the technology's advantages stay limited to a few or get distributed broadly across regions and sectors. "...another important facet is maintaining resiliency within AI infrastructure, this involves establishing safeguards and frameworks that ensure AI systems remain capable of adapting to disruptions and are also reliable, secure and accountable while continuing to serve public and economic objectives...from a regulatory perspective, robust self-regulation is important in this sector as it will enable the industry to proactively address the risks of AI through voluntary commitments and self-certification," Lahoti ...
State-owned NHAI on Tuesday said it has sought urgent intervention from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and Trai to improve mobile network connectivity on National Highways. NHAI in a statement said as part of a comprehensive assessment undertaken by the state-owned agency, 424 locations covering about 1,750 km across the National Highway network have been identified as critically affected due to non-availability of the mobile network connectivity. "Identifying critical mobile network connectivity issues across several stretches of National Highways, NHAI has sought the intervention of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) to issue appropriate directions to Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) for addressing non-availability of the mobile network connectivity on several stretches of National Highways, particularly on greenfield and remote sections," it said. Emphasising public safety implications and the strategic ...