Trai recommends creation of new category of license for digital connectivity infra providers

livemint.com:

New Delhi: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has recommended creation of a new category of license called the Digital Connectivity Infrastructure Provider (DCIP) which will be allowed to create active as well as passive digital connectivity infrastructure. The license category will be an authorisation under the unified license and would not be levied any license fees, but a one-time entry fee of ₹2 lakh and processing fee at ₹15,000 will be charged.

“The scope of the proposed DCIP authorization includes to own, establish, maintain, and work all such apparatus, appliance, instrument, equipment, and system which are required for establishing all Wireline Access Network, Radio Access Network (RAN), Wi-Fi systems, and Transmission Links," the regulator said. The scope of the license will exclude spectrum, core network elements and provisioning of end-to-end bandwidth using transmission systems to any customer or for its own use, but include right of way, duct space, dark fiber, poles, tower, feeder cable, antenna, base station, in-building solution (IBS), distributed antenna system, within any part of India.

DCIP will be allowed to install wired transmission link other than wireless, to connect to its own base band or radio units. Trai said that the penalty for violation will be same as that if internet service providers, and no performance bank guarantee will be charged.

To keep the authorization light touch under UL several conditions of Part-I of unified license have been exempted from applicability to DCIP authorization, the regulator said. For ensuring compliance of the security conditions, quality of service, interconnection, non-discrimination etc.