TRAI Issues Draft Manual To Assess Rating Of Properties For Digital Connectivity

SUMMARY

The regulations on "Rating of Properties for Digital Connectivity Regulations, 2024" was released in October last year

The new draft manual will enable adoption of uniform assessment methodology by the Digital Connectivity Rating Agencies (DCRAs) for rating of properties

The proposal is now out for the stakeholders to submit their comments and feedback by June 2

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued its draft manual for the assessment of rating of properties for digital connectivity under the “Rating of Properties for Digital Connectivity Regulations, 2024.”

The regulations on “Rating of Properties for Digital Connectivity Regulations, 2024” was released in October last year, to provide the rating framework for digital connectivity within buildings or properties.

The new draft manual will enable adoption of uniform assessment methodology by the Digital Connectivity Rating Agencies (DCRAs) for rating of properties, while also providing a standard reference for the Property Managers (PMs) for creation of Digital Connectivity Infrastructure (DCI) in their properties, TRAI said in a statement.

Via this rating framework proposed by the regulatory body, it ensures that the connectivity infrastructure, consisting of provisions for adequate bandwidth, low latency, and robust signal strength, is integrated as a primary component in properties.

TRAI also mentioned that the structured rating system would enable prospective tenants and buyers to compare properties based on their connectivity rating, making sure that locations are chosen with the best digital infrastructure.

The proposal is now out for the stakeholders to submit their comments and feedback by June 2, and counter comments by June 9.

The development comes at a time when more than 4.6 Lakh 5G Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs) have been installed across the country to boost India’s digital connectivity, according to the Economic Survey 2024-25 tabled by the union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman earlier this year.

It further claimed that out of 783 districts in the country, 779 have 5G services.

About a week ago, Reliance Jio started deploying its own network products to strengthen its domestic 5G network across the country, signalling its motive to save huge costs and potentially cut its dependence on global vendors such as Ericsson and Nokia.

On the other hand, TRAI chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti also pitched for a common regulation to monitor linear and digital content delivery mechanisms, earlier this month.