TRAI
Encyclopedia
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is the independent regulator
of the telecommunication
s business in India
.
in the 1990s helped the Indian Telecom sector to grow rapidly. The government gradually allowed the entry of the private sectors into telecom equipment manufacturing, value added services, radio paging and cellular mobile services. In 1994, the government formed the National Telecom Policy (NTP) which helped to attract Foreign direct investment
s and domestic investments. The entry of private and international players resulted in need of independent regulatory body. As a result, The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India was established on 20 February 1997 by an act of parliament called "Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act 1997".
The mission of TRAI is to create and nurture an environment which will the enable quick growth of the telecommunication sector in the country. One of the major objective of TRAI is to provide a transparent policy environment. TRAI has regularly issued orders and directions on various subjects like tariff, interconnections, Direct To Home (DTH) services and mobile number portability.
In 2000, the Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) was constituted through an amendment of the 1997 act, through an ordinance. The primary objective of TDSAT's establishment was to release TRAI from adjudicatory and dispute settlement functions in order to strengthen the regulatory framework. Any dispute involving parties like licensor, licensee, service provider and consumers are resolved by TDAST. Also, any direction, order or decision of TRAI can be challenged by appealing in TDSAT.
List of former Chairmen of TRAI:
Competition regulator
A competition regulator is a government agency, typically a statutory authority, sometimes called an economic regulator, which regulates and enforces competition laws, and may sometimes also enforce consumer protection laws...
of the telecommunication
Telecommunication
Telecommunication is the transmission of information over significant distances to communicate. In earlier times, telecommunications involved the use of visual signals, such as beacons, smoke signals, semaphore telegraphs, signal flags, and optical heliographs, or audio messages via coded...
s business in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
History
The policy of liberalization that was embarked by Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha RaoP. V. Narasimha Rao
Pamulaparti Venkata "Narasimha Rao" was the ninth Prime Minister of India . He led an important administration, overseeing a major economic transformation and several home incidents affecting national security of India. Rao accelerated the dismantling of the Licence Raj. He is often referred to as...
in the 1990s helped the Indian Telecom sector to grow rapidly. The government gradually allowed the entry of the private sectors into telecom equipment manufacturing, value added services, radio paging and cellular mobile services. In 1994, the government formed the National Telecom Policy (NTP) which helped to attract Foreign direct investment
Foreign direct investment
Foreign direct investment or foreign investment refers to the net inflows of investment to acquire a lasting management interest in an enterprise operating in an economy other than that of the investor.. It is the sum of equity capital,other long-term capital, and short-term capital as shown in...
s and domestic investments. The entry of private and international players resulted in need of independent regulatory body. As a result, The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India was established on 20 February 1997 by an act of parliament called "Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act 1997".
The mission of TRAI is to create and nurture an environment which will the enable quick growth of the telecommunication sector in the country. One of the major objective of TRAI is to provide a transparent policy environment. TRAI has regularly issued orders and directions on various subjects like tariff, interconnections, Direct To Home (DTH) services and mobile number portability.
In 2000, the Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) was constituted through an amendment of the 1997 act, through an ordinance. The primary objective of TDSAT's establishment was to release TRAI from adjudicatory and dispute settlement functions in order to strengthen the regulatory framework. Any dispute involving parties like licensor, licensee, service provider and consumers are resolved by TDAST. Also, any direction, order or decision of TRAI can be challenged by appealing in TDSAT.
Organization Structure
Per the "Telecom regulatory Authority of India (Amendment) Act, 2000", the authority shall have no more than two whole-time members as well as two part-time members. , members are:| Name | Designation |
|---|---|
| J S Sarma | Chairman |
| R. Ashok | Whole time member |
| H.S. Jamadagni | Part time member |
| V. Ranganathan | Part time member |
List of former Chairmen of TRAI:
| Name | Tenure |
|---|---|
| S. S. Sodhi | 1997-2000 |
| M. S. Verma | 2000-2003 |
| Pradip Baijal | 2003-2006 |
| Nripendra Misra | 2006-2009 |
| A. K. Sawhney | March-May 2009 (Interim) |
Secretariat
TRAI functions through a Secretariat headed by a Secretary. All proposals for considerations are processed via Secretary, which organizes the agenda for Authority meetings (consulting with the Chairman), organizes preparation of minutes and issues regulations etc. in accordance to the meetings. The secretary is assisted by ten functional divisions, namely Mobile Network, Interconnection & Fixed Network, Converged Network & IT, Quality of Service, Broadcasting & Cable Services, Economic Regulation, Financial Analysis & IFA, Legal, Regulatory Enforcement & International Relation and Administration & Personnel.See also
- Communications in IndiaCommunications in IndiaThe Republic of India possesses a diversified communications system that links all parts of the country by Internet, telephone, telegraph, radio, and television...
- The Telecom Commercial Communication Customer Preference Regulations, 2010The Telecom Commercial Communication Customer Preference Regulations, 2010The Telecom Commercial Communication Customer Preference Regulations, 2010 is a Regulation by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, enacted in 2010, came into force from 27 September, 2011...