TELECOM REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF INDIA – POLITY
News: TRAI suggests steps to ease doing business
in telecom sector
What's in the news?
● The
TRAI chief said that relaxing regulations for broadcasters would be a better
way forward than regulating OTT players.
Major Recommendations:
● Change
the name of the frequency licensing process under the Wireless Planning
Commission (WPC) to frequency assignment and reduce the approvals required to
start services.
● Establishment of
user-friendly, transparent and responsive digital single window system-based
portal enabled with new digital technologies for
achieving end-to-end interdepartmental online processes.
● In
respect of payment of AGR (adjusted
gross revenue) based License Fee (LF) and Spectrum Usage Charges (SUC), the
deduction verification process should be reviewed. 100% verification should be
replaced with sample base deduction verification based on appropriate
scientific statistical models.
● The
assessment of LF and SUC should be centralized at either DoT HQ or Controller
General of Communication Accounts (CGCA).
● The
Department of Telecommunications should review and simplify the existing
security conditions prescribed in the UL (unified license) agreement regarding
maintaining command logs and supply chain documents.
● Submarine
cable laying and repair in Indian Territorial Water and Exclusive Economic
Zones (‘EEZ’) of India and cable landing stations in India should be classified
as ‘Critical and Essential services’ and
should be given ‘Top Priority’ for
obtaining necessary permission and security clearances.
● Integration of the
Ministry of Broadcasting and DoT portals with the Department of Space (DOS) for
all services requiring a space segment.
● Ministry
of Power to provide telecom sites electricity connection under
Utility/Industrial tariff and direct all power distribution companies to treat
street furniture addresses as commercial addresses for the purpose of providing
a power connection.
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India:
● The
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) was established in 1997 under Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act,
1997, to regulate telecom services, including fixation/revision of tariffs
for telecom services.
● The
TRAI Act was amended by an ordinance, effective from 24 January 2000,
establishing a Telecommunications
Dispute Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) to take over the
adjudicatory and disputes functions from TRAI.
● TDSAT
was set up to adjudicate any dispute
between a licensor and a licensee, between two or more service providers,
between a service provider and a group of consumers, and to hear and dispose of
appeals against any direction, decision or order of TRAI.
Composition:
● The
TDSAT consists of a Chairperson and two
other members, all to be appointed by the Central Government.
● The
selection of members is done by the Central
Government in consultation with the Chief Justice of India.
Headquarters:
New Delhi
Organization:
● The
TRAI consists of a chairperson, two whole-time members and two part-time
members, all of which are appointed by the Government of India.
Tenure:
● Three years
or till the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.
Removal of Members:
● The
Central Government is empowered to remove any member of the TRAI.
Meetings:
● The
decisions in the meetings are taken by the majority vote of the members
present.
● In
the event of an equality of votes, the Chairperson
(or the member presiding the meeting) gives a second or casting vote.
Recommendations:
● Not binding
in nature.
● If
the Central Government does not accept any recommendation of the TRAI or needs
modifications, it refers the recommendation back to the Authority for its
reconsideration.
● The
TRAI forwards to the Central Government its recommendation after considering
the reference made by that Government within 15 days.
Functions:
● To
recommend the need for and timing of introduction of new service providers and
terms and conditions of the license to a service provider.
● To
ensure compliance with terms of license and revaluation of the same for
non-compliance.
● To
ensure technical compatibility between different service providers.
● To
give advice to the government on any matter related to the telecom industry.
● To
protect consumers’ interest, monitor quality of services, inspect equipment
used in networks and make recommendations about such equipment.
● To
facilitate competition and promote efficiency in operations to promote the
growth of telecom services.