Telecome Regulatory Authority Of India (Trai)
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) was established as a result of the opening of the telecom sector to private operators. It was established by the TRAI Act of 1997.
Telecome Regulatory Authority Of India (Trai)
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) was established as a result of the opening of the telecom sector to private operators. It was established by the TRAI Act of 1997.
The UPSC Syllabus includes a section on TRAI. Students studying for the IAS Exam or any other government exam should read about this topic in Science and Technology as well as Indian Polity.
What is the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)?
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) was established in order to provide a conducive environment for the country's telecommunications industry's growth and participation in the global information society. It is a statutory body that regulates the country's telecommunications sector.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) was founded on February 20, 1997, by a Parliamentary act widely recognized as the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997. This one was introduced to oversee telecom services, such as the establishment and revised version of tariff barriers for telecom services, up until recently, deeply involved in the Central Government.
Structure of TRAI:
- In particular, with respect to its chairman, TRAI needs to have at least two consecutive representatives but no more than two-Part members, all appointed by the Central Government.
- Members should really have specialist knowledge or have served as telecom secretaries or additional secretaries, in accounting, law, management, and consumer affairs.
- Only senior or retired government officers who've served or served as secretaries or additional secretaries to the Union or State or local governments for three to four years can be assigned as members.
Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT):
- The TRAI (Amendment) Ordinance, 2000 significantly reduced the TRAI's powers. TRAI and the newly established Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal will now regulate telecom services (TDSAT).
- They will also adjudicate disputes, hear appeals, and safeguard the rights of service providers and customers in terms of promoting and ensuring the orderly growth of the telecom market.
The TDSAT's composition is also altered, with the government appointing the chairman and no more than two full-time and no more than two part-time members. The following disputes have been assigned to the TDSAT:
(i) refers to a contract between a licensor and a licensee.
(ii) between two or more service providers;
(iii) a contract entered into between a service provider and a group of customers.
The Union government, state governments, local authorities, or individuals may petition the TDSAT for resolution of the aforementioned disagreements.
The Government of India will appoint the chairperson and members of this tribunal in consultation with the Chief Justice of India.
TRAI's power and functional areas
TRAI's primary powers and functions are as follows:
- To highly suggest the necessity, and timescale of, the introduction of new service providers, as well as the terms and conditions of a service provider's license; To ensure technical interoperability and interconnectivity among different service providers, as well as to regulate their revenue-sharing arrangements;
- To ensure license compliance and revaluation for noncompliance;
- To establish and maintain a time frame for providing long-distance and local-distance circuits;
- To facilitate competition and promote efficiency in operations in order to promote the growth of telecom services; To protect consumers' interests, monitor service quality, inspect network equipment, and make recommendations about such equipment;
- Preserving a record of interconnection agreements and maintaining it open for inspection, as well as resolving disputes among service providers in this regard; advising the government on any matter relating to the telecom industry. Levy fees and charges for services and ensure that universal service obligations are met, and Perform any other administrative and financial functions as may be delegated to it by the Central Government.
