TRAI Issues Consultation Paper On Review Of Scope Of Infrastructure Providers Category-I (IP-I) Registration

Posted by TRAI

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued the Consultation Paper on “Review of Scope of Infrastructure Providers Category-I (IP-I) Registration”.

The Indian telecommunication sector has undergone a pioneering transition in the last two decades to become the World’s second-largest
telecommunication market in terms of number of subscribers. This sector is playing a leading role in successful implementation of various Government programmes like Digital India, Make in India, and development of Smart Cities.

National Digital Communications Policy-20 18 (NDCP-2018) aims to facilitate India’s effective participation in the digital world economy. The policy enunciates multiple objectives and strategies to achieve those objectives. For achieving the policy objectives, participation of large number of stakeholders and huge investments would be required in the Core as well as Access networks. For achieving the universal broadband access, the policy envisages enhancement in the scope of Infrastructure Providers as below: “Encourage and facilitate sharing of active infrastructure by enhancing the scope of Infrastructure Providers (IP) and promoting and incentivizing deployment of common sharable, passive as well as active, infrastructure.”

Presently, the IP-I provide assets such as Dark Fibre, Right of Way, Duct space and Tower on lease/ rent out/ sell basis to licensees of telecom services on mutually agreed terms and conditions. IP-I have played a significant role in making available affordable telecom services in India. Since IP-I already have expertise and experience in rolling out telecom infrastructure in the country, if the scope of their registration is expanded than they can playa more significant role in achieving the objectives of the policy.

This consultation process has been initiated suo-motu by the Authority to make recommendations to the Government for the encouragement and facilitation of sharing of passive as well as active infrastructure as envisaged in the NDCP-2018. The purpose of this
Consultation paper is to seek the views of stakeholders on “enhancement of the scope of Infrastructure Providers Category-I (IP-I) Registration for promoting and incentivising the deployment of common sharable, passive as well as active, infrastructure.―CT Bureau