The Silicon Review ^Asia

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)has planned to regulate telecom and Internet services in the near future. Telecom regulator will soon release its recommendation for the same.

“We already have a paper on OTT (over-the-top). We will come out with appropriate recommendations and regulations in near future, a couple of months from now,”informed RS Sharma, the chairman of TRAI at the Mobile World Congress 2019.  At MWC, TRAI has been demonstrating technology and talking about the firm’s plan regarding 5G implementation.

As 5G is around the corner, the companies will be dominated by data-related businesses. It would blur differences between Internet-based and telecom-based services. TRAI is planning to have the same set of rules for organizations providing similar services. As Internet firms are going to move beyond providing just connectivity to adopt a data-centric business model in the coming era of 5G connectivity, it is important that telecom companies must be regulated at par with these firms.

TRAI informs that India is the only country that has made an announcement to slowly dismiss mobile call termination rates. It will end price arbitrage between online service providers and telecom operators. “Regulatory systems will continue to develop as technology develops. Our approach is regulator should not become a hindrance,”said Sharma talking about the evolution of new technologies.

Sharma said all telecom operators will have to implement a blockchain-based system to end annoying calls and messaging perils.