TRAI

Move to create competition for high value postpaid customer base; net neutrality norms may come into question

India's plans for satellite-to-smartphone connectivity face a reality check, with Apple and Google reportedly flagging hardware constraints, spectrum policy challenges, and the need for globally align

Trai has proposed penalties on telecom operators for improper complaint handling, delayed reporting and non-compliance with revised grievance redressal rules

Today's opinion wrap explores the economic fallout of the West Asia conflict, digital governance reforms, telecom disaster preparedness and the growing role of AI in policymaking

This historical context is worth recalling amid the overwhelming response to the government's latest mobile siren experiment as a disaster management measure

Regulator seeks stakeholder views on spectrum use for V2X networks aimed at improving road safety, reducing accidents, and enabling intelligent transport systems

Despite PM-WANI's push, India's public WiFi expansion faces weak business models and poor infrastructure, raising questions over its long-term digital relevance

Industry body raises concerns over regulatory overreach, data-sharing mandates and impact on safe harbour protections under draft telecom rules

JioStar moves Bombay High Court, challenging CCI's jurisdiction in Asianet dispute, arguing the matter falls under TRAI's regulatory domain

Telecom firms and ISPs have urged Trai to place responsibility for digital connectivity costs and building ratings on property managers, not service providers

Trai pushes telcos to offer cheaper voice-SMS plans, aiming to improve affordability and digital inclusion amid rising concerns over pricing and limited competition

Regulator seeks stakeholder inputs on spectrum assignment, charges and D2D services under satellite network-as-a-service model

Draft amendment seeks equal validity for voice-SMS and bundled STVs, with proportionately lower pricing to ensure fair, non-discriminatory choices for consumers who do not use data

The telecom regulator has asked the Reliance group firm to make all tariff plans uniformly available across platforms to ensure transparency and consumer choice

Trai tightens compliance norms with graded penalties and interest for delays in tariff reporting by telecom service providers

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 ..

Regulator proposes lowering complaint threshold for action on AI-flagged spam and seeks compliance with spam regulations from call management apps and phone diallers

Trai proposes expanding digital connectivity ratings to nine levels with half-star tiers, adds design-stage certification for under-construction properties and revises categories for assessment

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

Trai has recommended FY27 spectrum auctions with lower reserve prices, a 35% spectrum cap, incentives for coverage deployment and retrieval of airwaves from firms under insolvency