×

UPSC Courses

Telecom sector

Telecom sector

 World Geospatial Information Congress, Hyderabad

Second World Geospatial Information Congress, Hyderabad The Prime Minister recently spoke at Hyderabad's second United Nations World Geospatial Information Congress. The Geospatial Sector in India According to data, India's geospatial economy is projected to reach Rs63,100 crore by 2025, growing at a 12.8% annual rate. By increasing productivity, assuring sustainable infrastructure design, and efficient administration, and supporting the agricultural sector, geospatial technology has emerged as one of the main accelerators in socio-economic development. United Nations World Geospatial Information Congress (UNWGIC) In 2018, Deqing, Zhejiang Province, China hosted the inaugural World Geospatial Information Congress of the United Nations. Every four years,…

10 October, 2022 Telecom sector

5G Services: Advantages & Challenges

5G Services: Advantages & Challenges On the sidelines of the India Mobile Congress 2022 opening ceremony, the Indian Prime Minister recently announced the availability of 5G services in India. About The fifth generation of wireless technologies or mobile networks is known as 5G. Following 1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G networks, it is a new international wireless standard. Network: 5G makes it possible for a novel sort of network, one that connects practically everyone and everything—including machines, objects, and devices—to one another. Goals: 5G will offer more consumers a more consistent user experience, huge network capacity, ultra-low latency, higher multi-Gbps peak…

03 October, 2022 Telecom sector

Draft Indian Telecommunication Bill 2022

Draft Indian Telecommunication Bill 2022 To control Internet-based OTT (Over-The-Top) telecom services, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) recently announced the draught Indian Telecommunications 2022 Bill. ?????????????? What are the Draft Bill's Main Points? The Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1933, and The Telegraph Wires (Unlawful Protection) Act, 1950 are the three independent laws that now regulate the telecommunications industry. The proposed Bill consolidates these laws. Dilution of TRAI Authority: The DoT has also suggested to reduce the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's (TRAI) authority when it comes to giving new licences to service providers. Regulation of OTT:…

26 September, 2022 Telecom sector

Governing Telecommunication in India

Governing Telecommunication in India The Ministry of Communication, Department of Telecommunications (DoT) recently issued an invitation for comments regarding the requirement to update the legal framework governing the telecom sector. It also published a consultation document in which it advocated for the creation of a new legal framework that is precise, understandable, and responsive to the development of new technologies and social norms. Need for a New Framework Long before India gained independence, regulations were passed that established the legal framework for telecommunications in that country. Since the Indian Telegraph Act took effect on October 1, 1885, technology has made…

08 August, 2022 Telecom sector

Myanmar/Malaysia-India-Singapore Transit (MIST) Cable

Myanmar/Malaysia-India-Singapore Transit (MIST) Submarine Cable System The union environment ministry’s expert appraisal committee (EAC) on Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) has given its go-ahead for the construction of an 8,100km-long undersea, transnational fiber optic cable system connecting Mumbai to Singapore, via Chennai. About MIST cable                              It is an international submarine cable communication network that will traverse undersea to connect India with various other countries such as Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. It will also boost telecom connectivity between India and other Asian countries, namely Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore Its aim is to provide secure, reliable, robust, and affordable telecom facilities…

01 August, 2022 Telecom sector

Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) issue of Telecoms

What is Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR)? Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) is the usage and licensing fee that telecom operators are charged by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). It is divided into spectrum usage charges and licensing fees, pegged between 3-5 % and 8 % respectively. As per DoT, the charges are calculated based on all revenues earned by a telco – including non-telecom related sources such as deposit interests and asset sales. Telcos, on their part, insist that AGR should comprise only the revenues generated from telecom services. What is the issue of Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) of Telcoms? The…

16 September, 2021 Telecom sector

BharatNet project

BharatNet project Cabinet accorded approval for revised implementation strategy of BharatNet through Public Private Partnership mode in 16 States of the country.  BharatNet will now extend upto all inhabited villages beyond Gram Panchayats (GPs), in the said States. The revised strategy also includes creation, upgradation, operation, maintenance and utilization of BharatNet by the concessionaire who will be selected by a competitive international bidding process.  The estimated maximum viability gap funding approved for the above PPP model is Rs. 19,041 crores. The States covered under the Cabinet approval today are Kerala, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh,…

01 July, 2021 Telecom sector

TRAI Regulations

TRAI Regulations The Delhi High Court on Wednesday ordered the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to ensure “complete and strict” implementation of the regulation issued by it in 2018 for curbing unsolicited commercial communications (UCC). Telecom Regulatory Authority of India It was established in 1997. It is a statutory body. It is an independent regulator for telecom services and tariffs in India. Before TRAI, Central Govt used to regulate it. Objectives: Digital India: Ubiquitous and Affordable Connectivity. In 2000 it was amended to include TDSAT (Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal). It has adjudicatory functions of TRAI.   A Bench…

04 February, 2021 Telecom sector

National Security Directive for Telecom sector

National Security Directive for Telecom sector Under the security directive, operators will have to buy equipment from trusted sources. Telecom firms have asked the government to clarify about the entity that will be held liable in the event of a security breach in the network post implementation of the National Security Directive (NSD) in the telecom sector. A meeting was called to work on the road map for trusted products by the NSCS. Telcos wanted the government to come out with clear guidelines [as to] who [would] be responsible for any breach in the network if the government is making…

24 January, 2021 Telecom sector

Analysis of Telecom Sector: IUC Charges

Analysis of Telecom Sector: IUC Charges The end of the Interconnection Usage Charges (IUC) regime on January 1, under which one telecom operator paid a charge to another on whose network a subscriber’s voice call was completed, creates a new era in which these companies can focus on upgrading their networks and service. The measure was delayed by a year by regulator TRAI due to concerns that not all operators were ready, and the shift to more efficient 4G networks and compatible subscriber handsets was slower than anticipated. Now that the need to monitor call termination data and make IUC…

02 January, 2021 Telecom sector

Spectrum auction policy of India

Spectrum Auction Policy of India Government policies and interventions is a part of UPSC Paper II and Paper III and Telecom sector is a highly important topic for UPSC Mains 2021. Hence, Spectrum Auction Policy is important to read for IAS Examination. What is a Spectrum? Energy travels in the form of waves known as electromagnetic waves. These waves differ from each other in terms of frequencies. This whole range of frequencies is called the spectrum. In telecommunication like TV, radio and GPRS, radio waves of different wavelengths are used. They are divided into bands based on frequencies (see ‘Radio…

22 December, 2020 Telecom sector

Newsletter Subscription
SMS Alerts

Important Links

UPSC GS Mains Crash Course - RAW Prelims Answer Key 2024