Latest news with #TelecomRegulatoryAuthorityofIndia
The Hindu
18 hours ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Starlink not threat to BSNL, other telcos: MoS Communications
Starlink and satellite internet services like it would barely make a dent in the revenues of telecom operators and the state-owned telco BSNL, Minister of State for Communications Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani told presspersons on Monday. Mr. Pemmasani was speaking on the sidelines of a BSNL strategy meet, chaired by Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. All the over thirty circle heads of BSNL were present for the day-long meet. Mr. Pemmasani was responding to a query on whether Starlink would threaten the viability of BSNL's own remote and rural connectivity efforts. Mr. Pemmasani said that 'only around 2 million subscribers' can be connected to Starlink's networks, due to the paucity of bandwidth that the satellite internet constellation offers. While the government has indicated in the past that satellite internet is not a threat to terrestrial telecom networks, this is the most direct allusion to date of Starlink's limited bandwidth. 'The initial cost is ₹30,000, and then there is a monthly cost ₹3000,' he said, underlining the cost disadvantage satellite internet faces in India. Two million subscribers is a fraction of even the 4 crore fixed broadband connections in Indian households, which is itself considered underpenetrated. Over 97 crore mobile broadband connections, defined as mobile connections with at least 2Mbps speeds, have been recorded in data compiled by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. Mr. Pemmasani did not directly respond to a question on whether BSNL's two consecutive quarters of profit would continue — the telco's CMD Robert J. Ravi said in a statement during the previous quarter's earnings report that several investments underway would lead to a few unprofitable quarters. However, he said that many issues were being worked out with regard to tower rollouts and asset monetisation. Tens of thousands of towers were being added in all districts, in a 'strategic' way to ensure an even spread of coverage, he said. On asset monetisation, Mr. Pemmasani alluded to land records issues with many BSNL properties, particularly since many old allocation deeds have been lost, or never existed. There are also issues in buildings where India Post and BSNL — both under the Ministry of Communications — are operating simultaneously, requiring one to give an NOC to the other. In over half the land surveyed for monetisation, Mr. Pemmasani said that solutions like mutation had been arrived at in consultation with State governments.
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Court refuses bail to cyber fraud who targeted Navy officer in 'digital arrest' case
MUMBAI: The sessions court has refused bail to a 35-year-old man arrested for playing a central role in defrauding a retired Navy officer of ₹7.2 lakh in December 2024. According to the police, the accused had told the officer that he was implicated in a money laundering case involving NCP leader and former minister Nawab Malik, and he had to pay up if he wanted to cancel the 'warrant' against him. Court refuses bail to cyber fraud who targeted Navy officer in 'digital arrest' case Additional sessions judge Avinash P Kulkarni refused bail to the accused, Ugraram Ghamaram Godara, a farmer from Bikaner in Rajasthan, and held that his participation in the crime was 'active and deliberate'. The court added that releasing him on bail at this stage of the investigation would not be appropriate. According to the police, on December 24, 2024, the victim, a 54-year-old ex-Naval officer, got a phone call from someone posing as a Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) official. The official claimed that the naval officer's Aadhaar-linked number had been misused to transfer illicit funds abroad and that he was under investigation in the Nawab Malik case. The police said that the naval officer then received a video call from someone pretending to be a member of the Delhi Police, who claimed that an arrest warrant had been issued against him. The caller threatened that a 'digital arrest' would be executed unless he paid a sum to cancel the fictitious warrant. Alarmed, the victim transferred ₹7.2 lakh to a State Bank of India account, only realising later that he had been defrauded. He then called the cybercrime helpline, and the Cuffe Parade Police Station registered an FIR against the unknown person. The police investigation traced ₹22,500 to the accused and revealed that he had given the bank account details where the victim transferred the money. The police added that he had also sent his driver to withdraw the cash from ATMs. The accused however argued that he had no direct role in the offence and the amount traced to him was not significant. He was willing to comply with all bail conditions and said that he had lost his wife and needed to support his young daughter and elderly father. The prosecution strongly opposed his plea, submitting that Godara was part of a broader syndicate and had been instrumental in the crime. The court noted that Godara not only knew the individuals whose bank accounts were being used to receive the money, but had also spoken to them before each transaction. According to the police, Godara had sometimes even accompanied them to banks or instructed them to withdraw funds. The court said that this indicated a central role in the execution of the fraud. The court held that the seriousness of the crime lay not just in the amount involved, but in the 'sophisticated modus operandi' of the accused. 'This is a serious cyber-economic crime which threatens the financial credibility of the country,' said the court.
Mint
5 days ago
- Business
- Mint
Trai wants more enforcement teeth to rein in telcos, may ask govt to amend rules
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), set up in 1997 to regulate telecom services, tariffs and promote fair competition, wants stringent financial punitive powers to ensure that companies under its oversight strictly play by the rules. According to three government officials aware of the matter, the telecom regulator is working on a plan to get the decades-old Trai Act, 1997 amended and give itself more teeth. To be sure, Trai has sufficient powers to regulate telecom service quality, resolve disputes via TDSAT, and protect consumer interests, but lacks adequate enforcement powers. 'Trai cannot impose strong penalties, attach bank accounts or properties in case of violation, and ask for bank guarantees," the first of three officials cited earlier said, all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity. This official said that the gaps in the Trai Act make it difficult for the regulator to effectively enforce rules and ensure compliance in the telecom sector. The officials A key demand from the regulator is to have the powers to seek bank guarantees from telecom operators. The bank guarantee will bring seriousness in compliance from telecom operators and can be invoked in case they fail to pay penalties imposed by the regulator, the first official said. Also Read: Tata Communications renews private 5G push In fact, the issue of giving more powers to Trai also came up at a recent meeting of Trai officials with the department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, a second official said. This official added that the proposal, which is in the works, will be sent to the department of telecommunications (DoT), under the Union communications ministry. Queries emailed to Trai did not elicit any response till press time. Why Trai can't act tough on telcos As per the Trai Act, 1997, its powers are primarily regulatory, advisory, and enforcement-focused through directions. This is different from other regulators. For example, the markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) can pass binding orders independently. However, for Trai, the power to enforce orders is limited. The telecom regulator, for instance, relies on the department of telecommunications for licence actions. One of the key issues is also the enforcement of financial disincentives or penalties, which Trai does not have powers on. 'Trai can enforce a limited penalty but they don't have the power to recover that penalty," said Satya N. Gupta, a former principal advisor at Trai. According to Gupta, the telecom regulator should have the powers to grant licence and implement policy, whereas the government should just make policies. 'In almost every country, the regulator has licensing power. In India, the government has kept both licensing and policy making," Gupta said, adding that Trai has control over a few things such as quality of service orders and tariffs (which is now under forbearance). A key reason for Trai to seek more powers also stems from the financial disincentives worth over ₹140 crore imposed on telecom operators for failing to curb spams, which the operators refused to pay and sought an interim stay in the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT). The case is scheduled to be next heard on 8 August. Also Read: Reliance Jio Q1 results: 5G, home broadband milestones boost growth 'It is not illegal for telcos to challenge such orders by Trai but it delays enforcement. Often, operators do not take such orders seriously and also delay compliance with the regulator's request on sharing of certain data for research and investigation," the third official said, adding that Trai can impose some penalties, but not enough to hold companies fully accountable for serious violations. It lacks the teeth to enforce bigger actions — that's the problem, the official added. Call for binding powers, guarantees 'Trai should be empowered to directly issue, amend, or revoke telecom licences, rather than leaving this authority solely with the Department of Telecommunications. This would allow Trai to hold service providers more directly accountable," said Murtuza Kachwala, managing director at business consulting firm Protiviti Member Firm for India. 'Its recommendations—on tariffs, service quality, and consumer protection—should carry more weight by being made binding, rather than just advisory, so operators are obligated to follow them unless a legal challenge overturns them," Kachwala said. According to Kachwala, Trai's enforcement powers should be upgraded so it can independently impose penalties, fines, or other sanctions on operators that violate regulations—similar to the powers Sebi holds in the financial sector. Currently, if telecom operators do not comply with Trai's order on financial disincentives, the best route for Trai to recover the same is through the chief metropolitan magistrate. The Trai Act gives the regulator powers to file a complaint with the magistrate to initiate criminal proceedings if a telecom operator is in violation of Trai's directions or regulations, and fails to comply. However, the process is cumbersome and Trai has not exercised the powers in the last many years, the third official said. In February, the regulator also recommended to DoT that the authorization regime for licence holders such as telecom operators should include a provision for a bank guarantee. This guarantee would cover financial dues and ensure compliance with Trai's regulations, orders, and directions issued from time to time. Also Read: Bharti Airtel slashes pay hikes for employees, including top brass Trai made these comments in its recommendations on the terms and conditions of network authorizations under the Telecommunications. Trai had said that compliance with its orders and regulations is a critical component of the efficient performance of authorized entities (telecom service providers). The DoT, however, has not accepted the recommendations. Bank guarantees are required to secure telcos' payments towards licence fees, performance fees and penalties. When guarantees are invoked, the bank is supposed to pay that much to the institution to which it was provided and the borrower has to immediately repay the bank.
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Business Standard
6 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Tired of promotional calls? Trai to launch interface to block them with tap
Are you tired of your mobile buzzing throughout the day with promotional calls and messages? Help might finally be on the way as the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) is working with banks and telecom providers to roll out a unified digital interface that will allow users to register, review, and revoke consent for promotional communications. Why it matters The move could mark a turning point in the consumer's long battle with unsolicited commercial communication (UCC). Despite earlier regulations, spam and fraud continue to proliferate through telecom networks, often exploiting outdated or unverifiable consent systems. What's the latest Business Standard reported on Tuesday that Trai held a high-level meeting with regulators including RBI, Sebi, DoT, and other stakeholders. The goal: Develop a secure digital consent framework that empowers users to control commercial communications. Banks in the ongoing pilot include: SBI, PNB, ICICI, HDFC, Canara Bank, and Axis Bank. The interface will allow users to digitally record, track, and revoke consents across service providers through a tamper-proof platform. New caller ID system and pilot projects Trai also highlighted progress in: Rolling out the 1600-numbering series for verified commercial calls Implementing SMS header suffixes to distinguish message types (promotional, transactional, government, etc) Introducing a major pilot programme to transition from paper-based consents to secure digital ones 'A major pilot project is underway to enhance consumer control over commercial communications,' Trai said. Trai's evolving anti-spam measures In April, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) blocked 175,000 numbers following public reports via the Chakshu platform, a citizen-led fraud-reporting tool. The unified platform will be integrated with telecom and banking apps to simplify opt-in and opt-out preferences The regulator is expected to publish formal guidelines before the end of the quarter
Time of India
7 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Telcos, banks review interface to record, review and revoke consent for receiving commercial calls, messages
Telecom companies and banks are developing a simple interface for consumers to record, review and revoke their consents for receiving commercial calls and messages . 'A major pilot project is underway to enhance consumer control over commercial communications by replacing unverifiable, offline consents for commercial communication with a secure digital consent framework ,' the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India ( TRAI ) said in a release on Tuesday. 'The new mechanism will enable the consumers to digitally register, review, and revoke consents through a simple, unified and tamper-proof interface,' it said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Egypt: Unsold Sofas at Bargain Prices (Prices May Surprise You) Sofas | Search Ads Search Now Undo The consent management module is the most critical piece for TRAI's regulation of preventing spam SMSes and calls. After years of delays in implementation, TRAI recently revamped the digital consent platform to address the challenges. The ongoing pilot includes telecom service providers and major banks such as SBI , PNB , ICICI, HDFC, Axis Bank , Canara Bank , and Kotak Mahindra Bank , and is coordinated by telecom and banking regulators . Four dedicated working groups will oversee technical, operational, and awareness-building aspects of the pilot, it said. Live Events Besides, TRAI also stressed on fast-tracking the migration of commercial calls on the newly introduced 1600-numbering series. 'Considering different scales of operation of entities, it was agreed that migration may be made in a phased manner based on the inputs provided by the sectoral regulators to TRAI,' it said. TRAI is also working with the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), DoT's Digital Intelligence Platform, and telecom operators' blockchain systems to enable real-time sharing of fraud and spam data. Mobile payments regulator NPCI has also joined the efforts of this joint committee in preventing fraud.
