Latest news with #AnilKumarLahoti
Time of India
29-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Trai says telcos start '1600' number series rollout for BFSI sector
NEW DELHI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India ( Trai ) said that the incumbent telecom carriers have been implementing a '1600' series as a number prefix in numbers for consumers to identify calls originating from genuine banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) companies. 'Currently, we are focusing on the implementation of the 1600 series. This series has been allotted for transaction and service calls for the banking, financial and insurance (BFSI) sector,' Anil Kumar Lahoti , Chairman, Trai, told ETTelecom. Further, the top official said that the 1600 series initiative in the BFSI sector will 'give a lot of credibility' to voice calls and consumers can identify it as a transactional service, and not meant for a promotional purpose. The move comes following the sector watchdog holding multiple discussions with stakeholders, including incumbent telecom service providers. 'The work is in progress, so the number series has been given to the service providers and now the principal entities are taking the numbers from them. We have also requested the respective sectoral regulators to advise the entities regulated by them for early adoption of this system,' Lahoti said. Some of the BFSI entities, such as the State Bank of India (SBI) Card, according to the regulator, have already started the rollout of the new number series. Lahoti further said that the sector watchdog eventually aims to mandate all service and transaction calls routed through the new series, including those coming from large commercial entities. 'So, we have started from the BFSI sector, it will take some time to complete it, then we will take up other sectors also,' he added. READ MORE | Telcos voice concern over Trai's new spam norms In 2022, Trai formed a Joint Committee of Regulators (JCoR) that includes representatives from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). The JCoR agreed to mandate the BFSI sector with necessary directions to prevent misuse of headers and content templates and to curb unauthorised calls using telecom resources under the Telecom Commercial Communication Customer Preference Regulation, 2018 (TCCCPR-2018). In April this year, the joint committee discussed the modalities for the implementation of 1600 series numbers allocated to transactional and service voice calls by the entities belonging to the government and financial sector. The deliberations followed the onboarding of senders of commercial communication on the Digital Consent Acquisition (DCA) platform.
Time of India
29-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Telcos start '1600' number series rollout for BFSI sector: Trai's AK Lahoti
NEW DELHI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India ( Trai ) said that the incumbent telecom carriers have been implementing a '1600' series as a number prefix in numbers for consumers to identify calls originating from genuine banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) companies. 'Currently, we are focusing on the implementation of the 1600 series. This series has been allotted for transaction and service calls for the banking, financial and insurance (BFSI) sector,' Anil Kumar Lahoti , Chairman, Trai, told ETTelecom. Further, the top official said that the 1600 series initiative in the BFSI sector will 'give a lot of credibility' to voice calls and consumers can identify it as a transactional service, and not meant for a promotional purpose. The move comes following the sector watchdog holding multiple discussions with stakeholders, including incumbent telecom service providers. 'The work is in progress, so the number series has been given to the service providers and now the principal entities are taking the numbers from them. We have also requested the respective sectoral regulators to advise the entities regulated by them for early adoption of this system,' Lahoti said. Some of the BFSI entities, such as the State Bank of India (SBI) Card, according to the regulator, have already started the rollout of the new number series. Lahoti further said that the sector watchdog eventually aims to mandate all service and transaction calls routed through the new series, including those coming from large commercial entities. 'So, we have started from the BFSI sector, it will take some time to complete it, then we will take up other sectors also,' he added. READ MORE | Telcos voice concern over Trai's new spam norms In 2022, Trai formed a Joint Committee of Regulators (JCoR) that includes representatives from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). The JCoR agreed to mandate the BFSI sector with necessary directions to prevent misuse of headers and content templates and to curb unauthorised calls using telecom resources under the Telecom Commercial Communication Customer Preference Regulation, 2018 (TCCCPR-2018). In April this year, the joint committee discussed the modalities for the implementation of 1600 series numbers allocated to transactional and service voice calls by the entities belonging to the government and financial sector. The deliberations followed the onboarding of senders of commercial communication on the Digital Consent Acquisition (DCA) platform.
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Airtel seeks industry-wide alliance with Jio, VIL to combat telecom scams
Bharti Airtel has reached out to Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea (VIL) with a proposal for a joint industry initiative to combat the rising menace of telecom fraud and scams, the company has informed the government and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai). In separate communications to the telecom firms, Airtel highlighted alarming data showing that India recorded over 1.7 million cybercrime complaints in the first nine months of 2024, with reported financial losses exceeding Rs 11,000 crore. Urging all telecom operators to collaborate, Airtel stressed the importance of unified industry efforts to protect vulnerable individuals from increasingly deceptive digital scams, PTI reported. The company has already implemented a fraud detection solution aimed at blocking rogue websites on communication and social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, and Instagram. "However, given the recent alarming rise in phishing attempts and malicious URL-based scams targeting unsuspecting individuals, it became evident that more coordinated industry action was needed. These sophisticated fraud schemes often exploit the gaps in coordination between service providers," Airtel said in letters to Telecom Secretary Neeraj Mittal and Trai Chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Alerta: Você tem zumbido no ouvido? Dica de ouro pode aliviar! Zumbido no ouvido Undo Updating both the telecom department and Trai on its ongoing measures, Airtel said it has once again reached out to other Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) with a proposal to launch a Joint Telecom Fraud Initiative on May 14, 2025. "This initiative would bring together all TSPs to collaboratively detect, prevent, and mitigate telecom fraud and scams across our networks through real-time fraud intelligence sharing and cross-network coordination," the letter stated. Airtel also recalled its earlier appeal made in October 2024, where it had written to all TSPs proposing a collaborative approach to tackle the growing issue of Unsolicited Commercial Communications (UCC). That proposal suggested mutual sharing of corporate connection details used for commercial calling, in a standardised format, to proactively monitor spam and prevent misuse. It also included the idea of creating a centralised data-sharing platform similar to the existing Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) system to combat UCC effectively without hampering legitimate enterprise services. Meanwhile, Airtel Vice Chairman and Managing Director Gopal Vittal is expected to soon reach out directly to customers via email to raise awareness about financial frauds and scams, which he described as 'a regular threat for Indians.' Sources said Vittal's message will detail Airtel's ongoing initiatives, including the AI-powered spam detection solution launched last year, and new tools to detect suspicious links across OTT platforms, social media, and messaging apps, and block them in real time. Vittal warned that scam tactics have evolved and become more organised and dangerous over the past year. "Fraudsters today are targeting people not just through calls and texts but also through chats, emails, social media apps and other platforms," he said. He cautioned that scammers often impersonate banks, utility services, or courier companies, sending messages that appear urgent to trick users into clicking malicious links. "And these links look absolutely genuine, almost impossible to tell apart from the real ones. Once you click, they extract your personal and financial information and use it to scam you. We are seeing an alarming surge in such threats in the last few days," he added. On the new protection mechanism, Vittal reassured customers that 'whenever they are on the Airtel mobile network or connected to Airtel Wi-Fi, this added layer of protection will be active by default.' Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
The Print
10-05-2025
- Business
- The Print
Trai pegs spectrum charges for satcom cos like Starlink at 4 pc of rev; says levy not a blow to telcos
Besides the spectrum pricing, an 8 per cent licence fee would also be applicable for satcom players. Operators offering satellite-based broadband internet services in urban areas would have to shell out an additional Rs 500 per subscriber annually, Trai said in its recommendations to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). No additional levy would be applicable for services in rural areas. New Delhi, May 9 (PTI) Telecom regulator Trai on Friday recommended that satellite communication companies like Starlink should pay 4 per cent of their adjusted gross revenue (AGR) as spectrum charges to the government — a rate steeper than what these firms had been lobbying for. The regulator has also favoured a subsidy for satcom user terminals in unserved/ underserved regions of rural and remote areas (typically one-time hardware cost ranges between Rs 20,000-50,000). It said high cost could be a barrier to adoption, potentially impeding the adoption of such services in difficult-to-reach areas. Trai Chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti countered arguments that the regulator's suggestions of fixing the spectrum levy at four per cent of revenue for satcom companies like Starlink would distort the market or deal a blow to terrestrial players, such as Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel. Lahoti asserted the perception that satellite services have started competing with terrestrial services in other markets is 'not a factually correct statement'. Incidentally, these satcom terminals will be 'geofenced', meaning that the users will not be able to take them around, and roaming will not be allowed. Citing a case, the Trai Chief said that in Delhi, against a requirement of 50 lakh broadband connections, a single satellite constellation can offer just 10,000-20,000 connections. 'After detailed examination, we have found that the satellite services will be complementary and not compete with the terrestrial services,' he said. While the spectrum is assigned exclusively in the case of terrestrial broadband services, for satcom services, it is a pooled resource, and hence 'the two cannot be priced at par'. In the global context, also, the pricing of spectrum for satellite services in other markets is very low, the Trai chief said. The levy recommended by Trai is steeper than what satcom companies have been lobbying for. Elon Musk's Starlink and Amazon Inc's subsidiary Kuiper Systems had, during consultations with the regulator, urged it to keep the spectrum charge below 1 per cent of AGR with no other charge. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) recommended that satellite broadband spectrum be allotted for five years, which can be extended by another two years. The satellite spectrum pricing as a percentage of AGR is for both non-geostationary satellite orbit (NGSO) and Geostationary satellite orbit (GSO) based fixed-satellite service (FSS) and mobile satellite service (MSS). NGSO refers to satellites occupying either a low-earth orbit (LEO) or medium-earth orbit (MEO). Unlike geostationary GSO satellites, LEO and MEO satellites do not occupy a stationary position but move in relation to the Earth. Trai said the 4 per cent of AGR spectrum charge would be subject to a minimum annual spectrum charge of Rs 3,500 per MHz. AGR is used to calculate the revenue that telecom companies share with the government in the form of spectrum usage charges and license fees. AGR-based spectrum charge is the existing practice for commercial VSAT service providers and BSNL. Releasing the recommendations, Lahoti said satcom services, once available, can play a vital role in taking connectivity to underserved areas, where telecom networks are not available. They also play a critical role in disasters, rescue and relief operations. Trai said, 'Overall spectrum charges do not need to be any higher than the administrative costs required to cover the allocation of spectrum. It will also facilitate investment and innovation'. The DoT will review the recommendations. It can refer it back to Trai for tweaks or accept it in totality and send it to the Cabinet for approval. Once approved, satellite companies can apply for licenses. Starlink, earlier this week, got a Letter of Intent (LoI) for the start of its services. It now has to procure a license before starting services in India. SpaceX, an aerospace company led by Elon Musk, has already tied up with rivals Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel to bring Starlink's broadband internet services to India. Both Indian firms will offer Starlink equipment through their network and also support customer installation and activation on devices. Airtel-backed Eutelsat Oneweb and Jio Satellite Communication have already gotten the global mobile personal communication by satellite (GMPCS) services license needed to provide satcom services in India, while Starlink is on the path to getting the license. Over the past few months, Jio and Airtel have come together to demand an auction for awarding spectrum for satellite services in India. Musk, on the other hand, lobbied for administrative allocation as per the international norm. In October last year, the government sided with Musk on the issue of allocating airwaves to be used for offering low-latency internet services using satellite at a pre-decided price through an administrative route. Both Jio, India's largest wireless carrier, and Airtel, the No. 2 player in the world's most populous nation, where data usage is rapidly rising, feared that lower entry costs would chip away some of their subscriber base. Based on the recommendations of Trai, the DoT would now go to the Cabinet for pricing of satellite spectrum, once approved, any satcom wanting to offer services in India can apply. Starlink is the world's largest Low-Earth-Orbit (LEO) constellation operated by SpaceX. PTI MBI ANZ MBI BAL BAL This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Time of India
10-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
TRAI satcom spectrum pricing balances need for govt revenue & satellite services affordability: ISpA
Indian Space Association ( ISpA ) on Friday said TRAI 's recommendations on pricing of satellite spectrum balances the need for government revenue with the imperative to keep satellite services affordable and accessible along with a level-playing field. The industry body lauded the regulator for its "forward-looking approach" and "clarity" in the ongoing spectrum assignment process for satellite-based communication services. "The proposed framework for spectrum charges in the TRAI recommendations balances the need for government revenue with the imperative to keep satellite services affordable and accessible along with a level-playing field," ISpA said in a statement. The association said it looks forward to continued collaboration with Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and all stakeholders to realise the full potential of satellite communications in India. It exuded confidence that these progressive measures will contribute significantly to a digitally inclusive and connected nation. "We welcome TRAI for its forward-looking approach and clarity in the ongoing spectrum assignment process for satellite-based communication services. The Administrative Allocation of Satellite Spectrum enables shared access, fosters competition, and ensures maximum efficiency in spectrum utilisation-objectives that are critical for the growth of India's satellite ecosystem and for bridging the digital divide," A K Bhatt, Director General, Indian Space Association (ISpA) said. Telecom regulator TRAI on Friday recommended that satellite communication companies like Starlink pay 4% of their adjusted gross revenue (AGR) as spectrum charges to the government -- a rate steeper than what these firms had been lobbying for. Operators offering satellite-based broadband internet services in urban areas would have to shell out an additional ₹500 per subscribers annually, TRAI said in its recommendations to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). No additional levy would be applicable for services in rural areas. Besides the spectrum pricing, an 8% licence fee levy would also be applicable for these players, TRAI Chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti said. The spectrum rates recommended by TRAI is steeper than what satcom companies have been lobbying for. Elon Musk's Starlink and Amazon Inc's subsidiary Kuiper Systems had during consultations with the TRAI urged it to keep spectrum charge below 1% of AGR with no other charge. The TRAI recommended that satellite broadband spectrum be allotted for five years, which can be extended by another two years.
