Page 11 - Trai

Trai tells telecom operators to block pesky calls, SMSes from telemarketers

Alarmed at the rising pesky mobile calls and text messages by telemarketers, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Thursday

TRAI cracks unauthorised telemarketers; directs cos to stop headers misuse

Telecom regulator TRAI on Thursday cracked down on unauthorised, pesky promotional messages by telemarketers as it issued directions to telecom operators to act swiftly to stop the misuse of headers and message templates. To stop the misuse, the regulator has directed access service providers (telecom operators) to reverify all registered headers and message templates on Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) platform and block all unverified headers and message templates within 30 and 60 days respectively. Telecom operators have also been asked to ensure that temporary headers are deactivated immediately after the set time duration. "... Remove confusions among recipients of message and prevent their misuse, no look-alike headers (headers which are similar by virtue of combination of small case or large case letters) are to be registered by access providers in names of different Principal Entities," TRAI said. To curb messages from unauthorised or unregistered telemarketers, includin

Telcom operators push for regulation of OTTs in meeting with TRAI Chief

Telecom operators, including Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea, on Wednesday made a strong pitch for regulation of communication OTT players at a meeting with TRAI chief, according to industry sources. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had scheduled a meeting with telecom operators and ISPs to chalk out the agenda for 2023 where players raised multiple issues. Airtel CEO Gopal Vittal, Vodafone Idea Chief Regulatory and Corporate Affairs Officer P Balaji, and Reliance Jio board member Mahendra Nahata participated in the discussions on Wednesday. The meeting was chaired by TRAI chief P D Vaghela. Sources privy to the meeting told PTI said that telecom operators made a unanimous pitch for 'same service-same rules', arguing that OTT players which offer similar services as telcos do, should be regulated on similar lines. The industry has long been demanding a level-playing-field with communications OTTs, emphasising that regulatory conditions and licence ...

DND ineffective as users receive calls from personal numbers: Survey

Subscribers receiving unwanted calls from personal phone numbers that promote brands, says survey

Trai initiates talks on digital connectivity infra provider authorisation

TRAI on Thursday began stakeholder discussions on introduction of 'Digital Connectivity Infrastructure Provider' authorisation under unified licence, as it underlined the importance of "robust" digital connectivity in economic development. Digital connectivity infrastructure plays a vital and leading role in successful implementation of various government schemes under Digital India, Make in India, Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission and development of smart cities, the regulator said as it floated its latest consultation paper for stakeholder views. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) further said the recently-launched 5G will transform India into a broadband superhighway and improve the country's socio-economic structure. It is imperative that new players are encouraged through conducive licencing framework for creation of active and passive infrastructure, it added. "TRAI has today released the consultation paper on 'introduction of Digital Connectivity Infrastructure .

Trai floats a consultation paper on various issues of FM Radio sector

FM radio operators are allowed to carry the news bulletins of All India Radio in exactly the same format without any alterations

Trai's move to display caller names endangers privacy, imposes costs: IAMAI

IAMAI raised concerns over privacy and implementation in response to the proposal of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) mandating telecom service providers to display callers' names

Trai to meet telcos on Feb 17 to discuss calls drops, service issues, 5G

Telecom regulator TRAI has called a meeting with telcos on February 17 to discuss measures and action plan for improving service quality, review of norms, benchmarks for 5G services, and unsolicited commercial communications. The meeting assumes significance as improvement in telecom service quality is bound to cheer mobile customers, irked by call drops and patchy networks. It also comes at a time when ultra high speed 5G services are rolling out across the country. So far, as many as 200 cities in India have seen launch of 5G services, the next generation of technology that promises turbocharged speeds (about 10 times faster than 4G) and low latency connectivity. Issues around service quality have been in the spotlight over the last few months. The Telecom Department back in December met operators to discuss rising instances of call drops and service quality-related issues, as it deliberated on policy measures that can be considered for improving call quality. In a statement on .

Trai calls for overhaul of entertainment apps, tech convergence norms

Telecom and broadcast regulator Trai on Monday issued a consultation paper for a complete overhaul of existing legal framework around entertainment apps like Netflix, MX Player, Hotstar and Prime Videos. Through its consultation paper on "Regulating Converged Digital Technologies and Services - Enabling Convergence of Carriage of Broadcasting and Telecommunication services", the regulator has invited comments from interested entities around reducing complications as well as addressing gaps in the existing rules to manage convergence of technologies across IT, telecom, broadcast and space sector. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) said that the regulation of content in the broadcasting sector has become increasingly complex due to the onset of a large number of OTT (over-the-top) streaming providers and the OTT revolution has led to many gaps in the policy space of content regulation. The government has brought OTTs under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting but

Rising cost of data a concern, Meity will reach out to Trai: MoS IT

The rising prices of data and devices are a concern for the rapid proliferation of digitisation, Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Wednesday. The comments have come against the backdrop of a recent hike of about 57 per cent in the minimum monthly recharge plan by the country's second-largest telco Bharti Airtel. "Rise in cost of data or cost of devices is a matter of concern because they are impediments in rapid digitisation. We have a target to bring 120 crore Indians online by 2025. We have 83 crore Indians online today. We certainly see issues in rising cost of data consumption or any rise in the cost of devices," Chandrasekhar said on the sidelines of the India Stack Developer Conference. The minister said that he has not studied the recent tariff hike in mobile services rates by Airtel and will wait for telecom regulator Trai to examine it. "We are certainly going to talk to Trai, that's what is it? Is it short-term because of the ...

Implementation of caller name display should not be mandatory: Telcos' body

Industry body COAI has contended that implementation of Calling Name Presentation (CNAP) should not be made mandatory but kept optional for telecom operators

Digital India Act to be more principle-based: MoS IT Chandrasekhar

The ministry of electronics and IT has introduced the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, the National Data Governance Framework policy, and IT Rules, 2021, in the last two years

Tech companies, telecom operators against mandatory caller ID display

Just like the Truecaller app displays the names of people calling, the Centre through Telecom bill 2022 is seeking to establish this feature as a part of the telecommunications network

Telecom service providers against administrative allocation of 6G bands

6G adoption to eclipse 5G and lead to convergence of satcom and terrestrial networks

Govt issues rules to make entities pay for causing damage to telecom infra

The government has notified new rules to make entities pay for damages that they may cause by digging or excavating to telecom infrastructure like optical fibre network and mobile towers, according to an official statement issued on Friday. According to official estimates, due to digging or excavation activities undertaken by various entities, there are nearly 10 lakh optical fibre cuts (OFC) every year that cause an economic loss of approximately Rs 3,000 crore per annum. The Department of Telecom expects that the Indian Telegraph (Infrastructure Safety) Rules 2022 was notified on January 3 will be able to curb damages caused to the telecom infrastructure and inconvenience caused to citizens because of frequent breakdown of communication services. "Many utilities can be saved from unwanted cuts and wasteful costs towards restoration, thus saving thousands of crores for businesses and associated tax loss to the government," the statement said. The rule mandates that any person or .

Smartphone flattens internet growth curve in India, shows Trai data

Even as usage rises, internet reach and growth has stalled

Trai recommends 10-year renewal for multi-system operators' registrations

The authority recommends that all such registrations should be deemed to expire after eight months from the date of implementation

MSO registrations should be renewed for 10 yrs, Rs 1 lakh process fee: Trai

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India on Thursday recommended that the renewal of registration of multi-system operators of satellite television should be done for a 10-year period and the process fee kept at Rs 1 lakh. The regulator made a host of other recommendations for the renewal of multi-system operators (MSOs) registration after consultations with stakeholders. The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had asked for the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's (TRAI) recommendations since the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994, did not have a provision for the renewal of MSO registrations, the regulator said in a statement. "The authority recommends that all such registrations, which have either expired or (are) about to expire within the next eight months from the date of implementation of (the) decision of MIB with respect to the renewal of the MSOs registration, should be deemed to expire after eight months from the date of implementation of the ...

Trai recommends 5 MHz spectrum in 700 MHz band to NCRTC for RRTS corridors

Telecom regulator Trai has recommended that the 5 MHz spectrum in the 700 MHz band should be assigned to National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) for use in Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridors along the railway tracks. The frequency spectrum to be assigned to NCRTC shall be adjacent to the frequency spectrum assigned to Indian Railways in the 700 MHz band, Trai said in its recommendations on Spectrum Requirements of NCRTC for Train Control System for RRTS Corridors. "A separate category of permission/license for Captive Non-Public Network for Railway Networks (CNPN-R) may be created. However, the permission/licensing regime for CNPN-R may be kept very simple and light touch," the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) said. The frequency spectrum assigned to NCRTC may also be assigned to other RRTS or metro rail networks, which are geographically separated and not likely to cause any interference with one another, it suggested. To ascertain the ...

Trai discusses on licensing framework for submarine cable landing

Telecom regulator Trai has initiated a discussion on licensing framework and regulatory mechanism for submarine cable landing in India. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) said the department of telecommunications approached it sharing its concern over some Indian International Long Distance Operators (ILDOs) for not having any stake in submarine cable system, yet seeking clearance on behalf of the owners of submarine cable for laying or maintaining such cables in Indian territorial water or exclusive economics zones and also for applying to set up of Cable Landing Station (CLS) for such submarine cables. Submarine cables are "vital communication infrastructure" of the digital age and "critical" to the today's fast-paced data driven economy, Trai said floating the consultation paper titled 'Licensing Framework and Regulatory Mechanism for Submarine Cable Landing in India'. "DoT has sought recommendations of Trai on licensing framework and regulatory mechanism for submarine