Approach or principle of TRAI in regulating Telecom & Broadcasting sector is consumers’ protection, transparency, quality of service, overall growth of Industry & fair Competition, said RS Sharma, Chairman TRAI. Sharma was addressing Internet Conference, organised by FICCI on Thursday.
Addressing on the topic of India’s regulatory priorities the TRAI Chairman, said, “There are two types of issues important and urgent, before starting any consultation regulatory body gives priority to urgent issues. TRAI never regulate without consulting all the stake holders. With a detailed session of consultations with stake holders, TRAI body gives regulations.”
Sharma further said that TRAI gives lot of thought before issuing a consultation paper. The process goes through arguments and counter arguments. “We try to make the consultation paper very-very objective and in order to focus the discussion TRAI body brings out certain issues. TRAI's consultation process goes like this; that we articulate the issues and then we ask certain questions and essentially ask people to contribute to these questions. They are helpful for us in formulating the policy on this issue,” added he.
During his address Sharma opined that the entire success of Digital India is making available the broadband connectivity to the people as a utility to the citizens. Digital India programme has broadly three components. One is digital infrastructure; another is software and services on demand and third is citizen empowerment.
He said- 1 billion Indians are offline and our government is working hard to strengthen one of the important pillars of digital India that is net accessibility. He conveyed the gathering about implementation plan of bharat.net through PPP mode and said-scenario will be changed when all GRAM PANCHAYATS of India will come under bharat.net umbrella. He said- we have given recommendations to the government and I'm aware that the government is working very actively .He added -we are working on multiple options to increase broadband penetrations in the country.