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TRAI Recommends Assignment Of 5 MHz Paired Spectrum In 700 MHz Band To NCRTC For RRTS Corridors
RRTS corridor (Representative Image)
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Wednesday (28 December) released recommendations on ‘Spectrum Requirements of National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) for Train Control System for RRTS Corridors’.
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) had earlier in November last year asked TRAI to provide recommendations on the administrative assignment of spectrum to NCRTC and the quantum, pricing/charging thereof and any other terms and conditions, for separate spectrum requirements of NCRTC in 700 MHz band.
Further, the DoT also sought the authority's recommendations on assignment of the same spectrum for other RRTS/metro rail network pan-India
In response, TRAI issued a consultation paper on the subject and received comments and counter-comments from stakeholders.
Based on this input and its own analysis, TRAI has made several recommendations. These include the assignment of 5 MHz of paired spectrum in the 700 MHz band to NCRTC for use in the RRTS corridors, to be assigned adjacent to the spectrum already assigned to the Indian Railways in the same band.
To determine the feasibility of assigning this spectrum to telecom service providers on a non-interference basis, a field trial may be conducted involving the Ministry of Railways and the telecom service providers, overseen by the DoT, the authority suggested.
TRAI also recommended the creation of a separate category of permission or license for Captive Non-Public Network for Railway Networks (CNPN-R), with a simple and light-touch permission/licensing regime.
In terms of spectrum charging and payment, TRAI suggests that the price for a 10-year allocation should be equal to half of the price discovered in the latest auction for 700 MHz spectrum in the respective Licensed Service Area (LSA).
The payment terms should also be flexible, offering options for full upfront payment, partial upfront payment, or equal annual installments, TRAI recommended.
