Image used for representative purpose only.
| Photo Credit: Prashant Nakwe

Telecom regulator Trai on Wednesday (August 22, 2024) recommended the introduction of a new experimental authorisation for spectrum in 95 GHz to 3 THz range.

The purpose of ‘Tera Hertz Experimental Authorisation’ or THEA should be to promote Research and Development (R&D), indoor and outdoor testing, technology trial, experimentation, and demonstration in the 95 GHz to 3 THz range, the regulator said in its recommendations on the ‘Tera Hertz Spectrum’.

“The government should introduce a new experimental authorisation for the spectrum in the 95 GHz to 3 THz range termed as ‘Tera Hertz Experimental Authorisation’ (in short, THEA),” the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India said.

The scope of THEA should be to conduct R&D, indoor and outdoor testing, technology trial, experimentation and demonstration in the 95 GHz to 3 THz range, and to market experimental devices designed to operate in the said range via direct sale, Trai said in a release.

It further said that any Indian entity — academic institute, R&D laboratory, central/ state government, public sector unit, Union Territory, technology park, telecommunication service provider, incubator, original equipment manufacturer — should be eligible to obtain THEA.

“Marketing of experimental devices designed to operate in the 95 GHz to 3 THz range should be permitted under THEA via direct sale,” the regulator said.

The authorisation period of THEA should be up to five years. It should be further extendable for periods of up to five years at a time.

“The authorisation fee for THEA should be ₹1,000 for a period of up to five years,” Trai recommended.

The Tera Hertz Experimental Authorisation, recommended by the regulator “would encourage entrepreneurs and academia to develop innovative new technologies and services in the Tera Hertz band”.

“THEA would help experimenters to evaluate the performance of products in the Tera Hertz band in the conception, development and design stages, which would, in turn, pave a path to ascertain the technical viability of technologies and services built on the Tera Hertz spectrum.

“Upon implementation, the new experimental authorisation regime recommended by the Authority will provide a boost to the ‘Make in India’ initiatives of the Government,” it said.

Trai said keeping in view that short-range vehicular radar (SRR) applications can significantly enhance the safety of drivers and other road users.

It has recommended to permit authorisation and assignment-exempt operations of the 77-81 GHz band for automotive radars in India.

New Delhi:

The government has notified rules under the Telecommunication Act which makes only secretary to the government or officials with equivalent rank eligible for the position of sector regulator Trai chairman.

The government has made certain sections of the Act operational from June 26 and some of the rules of those sections have come into effect from July 5, including the criteria for appointment as Chairperson and Members of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), according to an official statement issued on Friday.

“Criteria for appointment as Chairperson and Members of TRAI: Section 59(b) of the Act will amend section 4 of the TRAI Act 1997 and prescribes criteria for appointment of Chairperson and Members of TRAI,” the statement said.

The new section restricts sector experts with professional experience in the field of telecommunication, industry, finance, accountancy, law etc. from becoming Trai chairperson.

“Provided that a person who is, or has been, in the service of Government shall not be appointed…as a Chairperson unless such person has held the post of Secretary to the Government of India or any equivalent post in the central government or the state government,” the new Act states.

The rules effective from July 5 also include a ban on the unauthorised use of equipment which block telecommunications.

“The Acts prescribes, with immediate effect, the use of any equipment which blocks telecommunication, unless permitted by the central government,” the statement said.

The rule for optimal utilisation of spectrum has also become effective from July 5.

“The Act provides a legal framework for efficient utilization of scarce spectrum through processes such as secondary assignment, sharing, trading, leasing and surrender of spectrum.

“It also enables the utilisation of spectrum in a flexible, liberalised and technologically neutral manner. It also empowers the central government to establish an enforcement and monitoring mechanism for the purpose,” the statement said. PTI PRS HVA

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

A franchisee displaying the SIM cards of a service provider in a roadside tent erected in Vijayawada.
| Photo Credit: G N RAO

There will be a seven-day waiting period after the SIM swap or replacement for a mobile number to become eligible for porting, telecom regulator Trai said on Friday.

The step has been taken to curb fraud taking place by using mobile phone numbers.

“The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), on 14th March 2024, issued the Telecommunication Mobile Number Portability (Ninth Amendment) Regulations, 2024, which will come into force on July 1, 2024,” the regulator said.

Earlier, there was a waiting period of 10 days in case a sim is swapped but the regulator has now reduced it to 7 days in the latest amendment.

Trai said that the amended regulations are aimed at curbing the porting of mobile numbers by way of fraudulent SIM swaps or replacement by unscrupulous elements.

“Through these amendment regulations, an additional criterion for the rejection of the request for allocation of a Unique Porting Code (UPC) has been introduced. Specifically, a UPC shall not be allocated if the request for the UPC has been made before the expiry of seven days from the date of the SIM swap! replacement,” the regulator said.

Trai in an explanatory note said that few stakeholders were of the opinion that a wait period of 10 days after SIM swap or replacement is appropriate, some other stakeholders contended that a wait period of 10 days may inconvenience subscribers, especially in urgent porting situations, and therefore, a shorter wait period such as two-to-four days would be reasonable.

The regulator said it is of the view that to prevent fraudulent porting after SIM swap or replacement, the wait period should neither be too small that it falls short of the objective of curbing fraudulent porting, nor it should be too long to inconvenience the subscribers.

“Accordingly, the authority has decided to keep a waiting period of seven days after the SIM swap or replacement for a mobile number to become eligible for porting,” the regulator said.

The story so far: Endeavouring to address issues related to coverage and quality inside buildings and civic facilities (such as airports and bus stations), the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) floated a consultation paper on September 27, proposing a rating system to assess network operability in the premises, to nudge property owners to “come forward and implement solutions to provide seamless digital connectivity in buildings.”

The regulator is seeking comments on the proposal until November 10 and counter-comments until November 24.

What are objectives of the proposed move?

The chief objective is to improve connectivity inside enclosed quarters. To attain this, TRAI recognises the need for an ecosystem that would create a “competitive environment” among property managers to provide the best quality of digital connectivity. According to the regulator, ratings would impact the commercial decisions of prospective buyers and tenants, allowing them to make an informed choice— thereby bettering connectivity in these spaces.

The regulator also observes that unlike street level wireless coverage, thorough connectivity in buildings entails the collaboration of service providers with local administrators and/or property managers. Thus, a TSP would not be able to deliver the desired quality all alone. “Apart from the permissions, the property managers and TSPs need to collaborate right from the design stage to co-design and co-create digital connectivity infrastructure in new buildings or buildings under renovation,” the paper reads. Thus, the regulator notes the necessity to combine these entities, tools and marketplaces under one platform, to aid in speeding up the roll-out of digital connectivity infrastructure and carry out capacity augmentation whenever required. Further, this will also serve to identify and remove obstacles to facilitate smooth functioning of the market for benefit of all end users and stakeholders.

As TRAI notes, the exponential rise in demand for digital services requires frequent augmentation of network capacity. Even though issues related to digital connectivity infrastructure can be addressed when the infrastructure is initially laid, however, they reappear at each instance of expansion, upgradation or any related activity. Thus, issues have to be dealt with during the entire lifecycle and not only at the initial phase. Hence ratings, once accorded, would require renewal.

What does the rating framework look like?

A star rating, between 1 to 5, would be accorded, ascertaining the scope and level of digital connectivity in the premises. The certification may be used for all further legal and marketing purposes. TRAI recommends that the rating be made mandatory for all existing and newer buildings of public importance within two years of the framework’s formalisation, or two years from obtaining occupancy certificate, whichever is later.

Buildings of public importance which would mandatorily fall under its purview include airports, ports, railway stations, metro stations, bus stations, industrial estates (including industrial parks, SEZs, multi-modal logistic parks), large commercial shopping complexes, higher education institutes and multi-speciality hospitals, among other places.

The assessment would combine objective and subjective considerations with suitable weightage. Objective metrics for assessment would include key-performance indicators like digital connectivity infrastructure availability, network performance and service performance. The subjective component would involve surveying end users about perceptions of quality.

For public places, like airports and railway stations, TRAI has sought that the requisite infrastructure be “agile enough to cater to a dynamic number of users such that quality of services is not affected during traffic peaks.” The demand for connectivity and quality network at these places fluctuates as per season or traffic during different times of the day, thus resulting in short periods of demand but in potentially greater volumes— as in the case of people riding the train during rush hour.

This is unlike businesses and residential complexes which have a more predictable pattern of consumption varying only according to their payment capacity and type of digital connectivity.

Further, the certification issued would be valid for a specified period. It would also provide conditions under which they may be withdrawn or require to be renewed. For example, performance quality during a certain period might degrade because of increase in average traffic or the availability of new technology networks or spectrum bands. Should an additional capability be introduced, an incremental assessment would determine the new rating.

How will the rating be done?

The process would be voluntary. After registering, due diligence would be carried out in two stages — initially offsite and then onsite. Following this, a rating would be awarded and if required, a renewal or review of the rating.

During the initial onsite process, the regulatory authority would provide the applicant with action points, classifying them into mandatory, recommended and optional. ‘Mandatory’ action points, if not addressed, would halt progress to the next stage, while not following recommended action points would result in lowered ratings, even though they can otherwise be ignored. Optional action points are entirely suggestive measures.

The second stage— the onsite verification— needs to be completed within sixty days from the date on which the on-site verification is requested, provided the applicant has complied with the requirements in the earlier stage.

After this stage, the scores are updated as necessary and finalised. Should the applicant not be happy with their score, an online appeal may be filed within 30 days.

The emphasis is on collaborative efforts to improve the quality of services for 847.31 million wireless internet subscribers. In a related context, TRAI said that wireless coverage “has become the main access technology for digital connectivity in India,” accounting for almost 98.5% of broadband connections in the country.