TRAI may come out with 5G spectrum pricing by month end

TRAI may come out with 5G spectrum pricing by month end

Subject: Polity

Section: Organisation

Context: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is set to give its recommendation on 5G spectrum pricing by the end of this month, after the Prime Minister’s Office asked the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to ensure 5G rollout by August 15.

What is spectrum?

• Devices such as cellphones, radio, wifi, etc. require signals to connect with one another. These signals are carried on airwaves. These airwaves must be sent at designated frequencies to avoid any kind of interference.
• Such airwaves are called the spectrum. The various frequencies are subdivided into bands.
  • Frequency is the number of repetitions of the wave that one can see in a period.
  • If a wave repeats slowly, it is low frequency. If the wave repeats more, then it is called high frequency. Hertz (Hz) is the unit of Frequency.
• Range of various devices:
  • Radio – 100-200 Megahertz (Mhz)
  • Telecom – 800 Mhz – 2300 Mhz
  • Wifi – Earlier it was 2.4 Ghz and now enhanced to 5 Ghz.

What is a spectrum auction?

The Union government owns all the publicly available assets within the geographical boundaries of the country. This includes the airwaves also. So the government has the right to sell the airwaves.

The selling of airwaves as a band for a certain period is known as Spectrum Auctions. The central government through the DoT (Department of Telecom) auctions these airwaves from time to time.

The government performs spectrum auctions after dividing the entire country into telecom circles. Presently India is divided into 22 telecom circles.

All these spectrums are sold for a certain period of time, after which their validity lapses, which is generally set at 20 years.

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)

• Telecom Regulatory Authority of India(TRAI) is a regulatory body set up by the Government of India under section 3 of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997.
• It is the regulator of the telecommunications sector in India.
• Composition: It consists of a Chairperson and not more than two full-time members and not more than two part-time members. Tenure of Members: The Chairperson and other members shall hold their office for a term of three years or till the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.
• The TRAI Act was amended by an ordinance, effective from 24 January 2000, establishing a Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) to take over the adjudicatory and disputes functions from TRAI.
• Objectives of TRAI: To provide a fair and transparent policy environment that promotes a level playing field and facilitates fair competition.

Functions of TRAI

• The function of the TRAI is to make recommendations on the following matters:
  • Need for introduction of new service provider.
  • Revocation of license for non-compliance of terms and conditions of licence.
  • Measures to facilitate competition and promote efficiency in the operation of telecommunication services to facilitate their growth.
  • Technological improvements in the services provided by the service providers.
• Discharge of Responsibilities: The TRAI is responsible for discharging the following functions:
  • Ensuring the compliance of terms and conditions of licence
  • Ensuring the technical compatibility and effective interconnection between different service providers.
  • Laying down the standards of quality of service to be provided by the service providers.
  • Ensuring the quality of service and conducting the periodical surveys of such services.
  • Timely and officially notifying the rates at which the telecommunication services within India and outside India shall be provided under the TRAI Act, 1997.
• The recommendations of the TRAI are not binding upon the Central Government.