TDSAT member J S Sarma is learnt to have been appointed the new Chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
The order on Sarma's taking over charge as new TRAI chief was issued after the Appointment Committee of Cabinet cleared his name, said a senior official in the Department of Telecom.
The former telecom secretary will be taking charge as soon as he completes hearing some TDSAT cases.
He will succeed Nripendra Mishra, who retired on March 22, 2009. Currently TRAI member A K Sawhney is the interim Chairman of the regulatory body.
The government had set up a search committee to select the new Chairman.
Sarma, who has a lot of exposure in the telecom sector, was the Telecom Commission Chairman from June 2005 to July 2006. He was appointed TDSAT member on July 28, 2008.
Being the regulator of a high-growth sector TRAI has over time become more sensitive to consumer interest.
According to TRAI figures India added 15.87 million telephone connections during March. The total number of telephone connections reached 429.72 million till March 31, while the total wireless subscribers base (GSM, CDMA and wireless local loop - fixed) stood at 391.76 million.
