Trai

No satellite spectrum allocation on first-come, first-served basis: Scindia

Scindia said there is a scientific argument and then an economic argument linked to the spectrum allocation

No disruption on Day 1 of mandatory message traceability: Trai officials

90% of businesses accounting for the majority of commercial traffic have registered, telcos say

Banks compliant with Trai's new regulations on message traceability

According to senior public sector bank executives, all the mobile phone numbers are white-labelled for call centres, and compliances are in place as far as large commercial banks are concerned

Trai's new message norms: Your OTPs safe, but spam may have a hard time

Trai's new message traceability norms go live from Dec 11 and aim to protect users by ensuring OTPs and essential messages are delivered seamlessly, while tackling spam and fraudulent communication

Mandate on message traceability will not delay SMS delivery, says Trai

Telecom regulator TRAI on Thursday asserted that its mandate to telcos on message traceability as part of curbing spams would not lead to any delay in delivery of messages nor disrupt timely receipt of one-time passwords. Taking to X, TRAI dismissed as "factually incorrect" reports which suggested that OTP messages could get delayed from December 1. "This is factually incorrect. TRAI has mandated the Access Providers to ensure message traceability. It will not delay delivery of any message," Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) wrote on X. The clarification came after some media reports suggested that subscribers across telecom networks could face disruptions and delays in OTP-based transactions like banking services, and e-commerce, among others. TRAI has announced a number of initiatives to crackdown on spam calls and messages. To enhance message traceability, TRAI issued direction on August 20, 2024 mandating that the trail of all messages from senders/principal entities

Trai unlikely to extend November 30 deadline for message traceability norms

With 13,000 businesses already registering with telcos, TRAI believes no disruption would occur

Trai to finalise satcom spectrum allocation norm suggestions by Dec 15

Telecom sector regulator Trai is likely to finalise its recommendation on proposed rules related to spectrum allocation for satellite communications by December 15, an official said on Monday. The government will evaluate recommendations of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) and thereafter decide on allocating spectrum to satellite communication companies, which will pave the way for satellite-based broadband services in the country. "Trai is working to submit a recommendation on satcom spectrum assignment by December 15. There were several points raised during the open house discussion, some of which were beyond the consultation paper. Those points also need to be looked upon," an official source said on condition of anonymity. Last week Trai concluded an open house discussion on the terms and conditions for the assignment of spectrum for certain satellite-based commercial communication services. Telecom service providers like Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel want ...

Starlink disputes predatory pricing allegations at Trai open house

Starlink on Friday asserted that it maintains absolute transparency on pricing as Elon Musk-backed satellite internet service provider vehemently dismissed arguments aired by certain players about "predatory pricing of next-generation systems" in a high-voltage open house discussion conducted by TRAI. With battlelines between terrestrial players and satellite aspirants clearly drawn, TRAI's marathon open house discussion that stretched for several hours saw telcos Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel banding together and speaking in unison about the need for level-playing-field as India works out the norms for satcom spectrum. Jio, which has made a case for the auction of satellite spectrum, on Friday said it is "not afraid of competition" but that 'same services same rules' must apply. "We are working in a hyper-competitive market. We are not afraid of competition. It is the other way around. Actually, the entities who are wanting to be in this space via satellite, in the telecommunicati

Jyotiraditya Scindia says no to spectrum auction pitch from Ambani, Mittal

In a boost to Elon Musk's Starlink, Communications Minister Scindia has said the spectrum for satellite broadband will be allocated and not auctioned as sought by Indian billionaires Mukesh Ambani and Sunil Mittal. The satellite broadband spectrum will however be not given free and sector regulator Trai will fix a price for the resource, he told PTI in a text and video interview. "Every country has to follow the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), which is the organisation that lays out the policy for spectrum in space or satellites, and the ITU has been very clear in terms of the spectrum being given out on an assignment basis. In addition, if you look across the world today, I cannot think of a single country that auctions spectrum for satellite," Scindia said. India is a member of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a UN agency for digital technology. Musk's Starlink and global peers like Amazon's Project Kuiper back an administrative allocation. While ..

Telecom issue: NCLAT dismisses petitions, says IBC to prevail over Trai Act

Insolvency tribunal NCLAT has said that the Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code (IBC) would prevail over the provision of the Telecom Service Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Act, as it dismissed two petitions filed by the sectoral regulator in the RCom matter. The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) dismissed the plea by the telecom regulator TRAI against the classification of the balances of the customers of RCom as operational debt by the resolution professional in the insolvency proceedings of the defunct service provider. NCLAT also dismissed the second petition filed by TRAI, where it sought direction to the resolution professional of RCom for payments of statutory dues amounting to Rs 85.10 lakh. "The submission of the appellant (TRAI) that Act being a special law, would prevail over the provisions of IBC cannot be accepted." "The Supreme Court has already held that Section 238 of the IBC has overriding effect over any other law. Hence, IBC shall prevail over the ..

Level playing field: Jio sends second legal opinion to Trai on satcom

Former SC judge says Trai should have sought stakeholder comments on satellite spectrum allocation

Updated regulation on curbing spam calls likely by Jan, says Trai chairman

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) expects to finalise by January, updated and tighter regulations on curbing spam calls and messages after holding extensive discussions on its recent consultation paper, Chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti has said. Lahoti further said based on a recent reference from Telecom Department, TRAI will prepare and float a consultation paper on regulatory framework for telemarketers. The TRAI Chief said series of measures taken over the past months by the regulator to combat spam calls and malicious/fraudulent messages is leading to "significant and perceptible clean up of the system" but noted that "more needs to be done". "Our consultation paper was floated in August-end...we have already received comments and counter comments on it and now we will be analysing all the views and hold an open house discussions. It will take about three months for regulations to be finalised... so around January, we will come out with updated regulations on curbing .

Trai extends deadline for traceability mandate on OTPs to December 1

Trai has extended the deadline for implementing the traceability mandate on commercial messages to December 1, citing concerns from telecom operators over potential service disruptions

Trai rating platform to assess, rate properties on quality of connectivity

Trai has decided to set up a 'rating platform' to assess and rate properties on the quality of digital connectivity as the telecom regulator outlined an elaborate framework and norms to nudge property managers to think of a "good digital connectivity experience" for customers. Based on the quality of digital connectivity and scores awarded, the properties will be assigned star-based ratings -- ranging from one star to five. The properties for digital connectivity rating are classified into different categories - Residential, Government Properties, Commercial Establishments, Other private or public areas, Stadiums or Sports Arenas or spaces of frequent gathering and Transport corridors, Trai said. Unveiling the contours of a new rating framework on Friday, Trai noted that the coverage and quality of digital connectivity inside buildings remains a major issue despite significant coverage of the 4G (LTE) network, the rollout of the 5G network and availability of more spectrum bands. T

Madhabi Puri Buch skips House panel meet; hearing deferred amid protests

The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) members of the PAC challenged the postponement of the meeting

Trai's new traceability rules won't disrupt e-commerce OTP services

Trai's new mandate, set to take effect on November 1, would require traceability of messages sent by principal entities, including banks, e-commerce platforms, and financial institutions

Trai releases consultation paper on T&C of network authorisations

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Tuesday floated a discussion paper on terms and conditions of network authorisations to be granted under the Telecom Act, 2023. DoT had approached TRAI, through a letter dated July 26, 2024, asking it to provide recommendations on terms and conditions, including fees or charges, for authorisation to establish, operate, maintain or expand telecommunication network as per the provisions of the Telecommunications Act, 2023. Subsequently, through another letter dated October 17, 2024, DoT requested TRAI to consider an authorisation for satellite communication network under Telecommunications Act, 2023. "In this regard, a consultation paper on 'the Terms and Conditions of Network Authorisations to be Granted Under the Telecommunications Act, 2023' has been placed on the TRAI's website (www.trai.gov.in) for seeking comments/ counter comments from stakeholders," it said. Stakeholders have been asked to submit written comments and counter

Starlink vs Jio: Trai extends satellite spectrum pricing debate deadline

Major satellite players like Musk's Starlink and Jeff Bezos-owned Amazon Kuiper are advocating for lower spectrum prices in India

Telcos revenue may cross Rs 5 trn in next 2 yrs, says DoT official

Telecom sector revenue may cross Rs 5 lakh crore in the next two years in line with the present growth trend fuelled by ease of doing business measures introduced by the government in the last 2-3 years, a senior Department of Telecom official said on Friday. The DoT's apex decision-making body Digital Communication Commission Member Manish Sinha mooted the idea of relooking at current practices of spectrum allocation and working on new methodologies like dynamic spectrum allocation, and for shorter duration to enhance spectrum usage efficiency and derive its economic value. "I can see that in the last 2 to 3 years, there has been much ease of business, and that reflects in the kind of revenues that the telecom sector is generating now. I hope it continues to grow like that in the next two years, it won't be surprising if we break the barrier of Rs 5 lakh crore in terms of gross revenue from this sector," Sinha said. According to a report by sector regulator Trai, telecom service ..

Trai pushes for OTT app regulation: Why WhatsApp and Telegram are in focus

Trai chief Anil Lahoti called for regulators across the globe to strike a balance between fostering innovation and maintaining a fair marketplace, given the cross-border nature of OTT services