TRAI launches consultation for next generation networks

October 9th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Faced with a deluge of applications from those wishing to start a new TV channel, the information and broadcasting ministry has written to the telecom watchdog TRAI seeking its advice on introducing additional criteria to weed out non-serious players. Over 100 applications are pending with the information and broadcasting ministry for licence to start new TV channels.

July 22nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - The country's telecom watchdog has sought the views of the industry stakeholders on mobile number portability (MNP) charges that will help decide what service providers and a customer should pay for switching operators. MNP once implemented will allow subscribers to retain their existing mobile number when they switch from one service provider to another or from one technology to another of the same service provider.

July 19th, 2009 NEW DELHI - With the media reeling under the financial crunch, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni has backed increasing FDI (foreign direct investment) in print media to 49 per cent, saying "it is safe". "I think it is a good suggestion," Soni said in an interview when asked about her views on increasing FDI in print media from 26 per cent to 49 per cent.

June 30th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India's telecom regulator Tuesday issued draft regulations for mobile number portability (MNP), highlighting the rights, obligations and duties of service providers. MNP allows users to switch operators without changing numbers.

March 30th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Leading telecom player Bharti Airtel emerged as the most congested mobile network in the GSM space in October-December 2008 with competitor Vodafone close behind, the telecom regulator said Monday. As per the analysis by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) for the period under review, Airtel had 14 congested points of interconnection (POI) - the geographical location where two networks interconnect and exchange traffic.

March 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - India's telecom watchdog Monday asked internet service providers (ISPs) and telecom operators to ensure availability of the minimum required bandwidth in their networks. 'Operators must ensure availability of the minimum required bandwidth in their network as per the maximum contention ratio suggested by the regulator for different services based on the number of customers,' the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) said in its guidelines issued for the service providers.

February 26th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The country's telecom watchdog, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), Wednesday said broadcasters should not have any control over distribution operations and vice-versa. 'Any entity having more than 20 percent equity participation in a broadcasting company cannot have more than 20 percent equity in a distributor (operators of cable, DTH, or mobile TV operators) and vice-versa,' TRAI said in a statement.

February 25th, 2009 NEW DELHI - You may have to wait a little more longer than expected before you start paying less to access the Internet through a high speed broadband network, as the telecom watchdog is yet to come out with the guidelines on the next generation network (NGN) that will enable telecom operators to offer better services at lower rates. Telecom operators have been asked to submit their comments on NGN by March 10, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) said here Wednesday.

February 12th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The country's telecom watchdog Friday recommended that the content of value-added services (VAS) should be subject to regulation and should comply with prevailing copyright laws, including digital management rights. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), in its recommendations on 'Growth of Value-Added Services and Regulatory Issues' said the VAS market offers great scope of growth for telecom access service and content providers.

February 5th, 2009 KOLKATA - The telecom sector watchdog is considering penalising telecom operators for below-par services, a top official of the statutory body said here Friday. The penalty could follow a telecom operator's inability to provide voice and other services according to established standards relating to 'quality of service to customers', said Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) chairman Nripendra Misra.

January 13th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Providers of value-added telecom services (VAS) do not require separate licences, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) said Wednesday, a point of view that has come as a big relief to many firms. 'The authority does not envisage any separate category of licence for value-added services,' TRAI said in a recommendation paper.

January 13th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Delhi High Court Wednesday warned broadcaster ESPN that it would face criminal proceedings if it failed to comply with Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's (TRAI) directions on tariffs charged from direct to home (DTH) operators for its channels. Justice S. Muralidhar granted the sports broadcaster two days to file its amended reference interconnect offer (RIO) before regulator TRAI and posted the matter for further hearing Friday.

January 12th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Indian telecom sector continued its robust growth with the wireless market growing at 9.91 percent and churning revenues worth Rs.371 billion (Rs.37,196 crore) for the second quarter ending September, an official agency said Tuesday. A total of 28.44 million subscribers was added in this quarter, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) said in a statement.

January 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - With the telephone subscriber base rising to 374.13 million in November, the congestion levels between one network to another has risen considerably with Bharti Airtel's network emerging the most congested. Between July-September 2008, Airtel had 41 points of inter-connections (POIs) - the highest level of congestion among the various networks.

December 30th, 2008 NEW DELHI - Inddia's telecom regulator Wednesday sought the industry's views on reducing the interconnect usage charges (IUC), a move that may lead to a further fall in call tariffs. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has issued a consultation paper to industry leaders in this regard.