Telecom Commission approves forming

Prelims level : Mains level : G.S-II Government policies and interventions for development.
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Why in News?

  • The Telecom Commission today said a new National Trust Centre will be created for certifying devices and applications for machine-to-machine communication, a new-age technology that is at the heart of concepts like smart homes.

Background:

  • It has also decided to form an apex body for this technology segment and its members will include representatives from other regulatory authorities like National Highways Authority of India and Central Electricity Regulatory Commission.
  • Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications forms the basis for automated information exchange between machines. It can impact various industries like smart cities and grids, transportation systems and healthcare, among others.
  • According to some estimates, the number of connected devices in India is projected to touch about 275 million by 2020.
  • The Telecom Engineering Centre (TEC) and Standardisation Testing and Quality Certification (STQC) will spell out the detailed security parameters.
  • TRAI’s recommendations on M2M have been accepted, and all access providers holding any kind of licence shall be allowed to provide M2M connectivity, but they will have to register as M2M service providers.
  • The process of registration will be kept simple and those operating on unlicensed spectrum in a smaller service area will not have to procure a licence. For example, of a health clinic that has connected machines communicating with each other.
  • Aiming to grow the M2M segment, the government has also decided against levying performance bank guarantee or financial bank guarantees from players providing M2M services in limited geographies.
  • However, those operating in unlicensed spectrum but using wide area networks will come under the category of licensing and there will be a new authorisation called UL – Universal Licence M2M, which in turn.
  • For the larger players, the entry fee and bank guarantee have been kept at a nominal rate. The Telecom Commission has also decided that no spectrum band will be allocated exclusively for these services.
  • On cloud, the Telecom Commission favoured a “light touch regulatory framework” and will ask cloud service providers to form industry associations that will be registered.
  • DoT can issue directions to the industry bodies, it can withdraw or cancel registration of industry body if it finds breaches. A cloud service advisory group comprising all stakeholders will be constituted.
  • The Telecom Commission — which is the highest decision-making body of the Telecom Department — also took note of reports that suggest that cloud can create more than one million jobs.
  • Also, the Telecom Commission has decided that BSNL would be asked to take up projects (to connect about 44,000-gram panchayats) under Bharat Net and be given a five per cent incentive if the state-run telecom operator meets the December deadline.
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