TRAI to review digital landscape every 2 years

Improving connectivity is the key to the success of the vision of Digital India, says TRAI chairman at IAMAI Summit

BestMediaInfo Bureau | Delhi | February 11, 2016

RS Sharma

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) will be reviewing the digital landscape every two years. Chairman of TRAI RS Sharma said as much when he spoke of Differential Pricing at the 10^th India Digital Summit held in New Delhi. The two-day summit, organized by the Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), began on February 10.

Sharma spoke of the necessity of augmenting the telecom and digital infrastructure to meet the growing demand of a truly digital India. He said that with more spectrum released, connectivity would improve. “Seamless connectivity is the essence of true digitization,” he said, adding, “With Digital Locker, e-Sign and Aadhar, India is the only country in the world to have such advanced technology.” Sharma said India was the only country equipped with technology that could check the identity of a person digitally through Aadhar.

In the context of Differential Pricing, he was categorical that now that the digital landscape was changing constantly, TRAI would be reviewing it every two years. Speaking of connectivity, he said drive tests were being done regularly by TRAI.

Sharma said telecom companies had begun raising objections to consulting on the lines TRAI was using. “We have started that process also. So this time when we did the test, we also took their suggestions into account,” he informed.

“Whatever drive tests we have done, we have done them very objectively,” he went on to say. “It was done in a transparent manner and if there are any more suggestions for transparency, we are certainly ready to look at it. But by simply saying that what you have done is not really correct, that is not the way,” Sharma said. He informed that the next test drive was likely in April 2016.

In his inaugural address earlier in the day, IAMAI Chairman and Founder &CEO of FreeCharge, Kunal Shah, suggested that continuous innovation was the key to staying relevant. Shah said young startups should focus on reinventing rather than on focusing on raising funds. The internet and IAMAI was set up in 2004 and aspires to represent the entire digital business in India. It now represents more than 190 Indian companies and multinational corporations.

In the last 11 years, IAMAI has effectively addressed challenges facing the digital and online industry including mobile content and services, online publishing, mobile advertising, online advertising, ecommerce and mobile & digital payment.

Info@BestMediaInfo.com

Info@BestMediaInfo.com