The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has put forth recommendations aimed at enhancing the efficient use of spectrum resources in the country's telecommunications sector. They have suggested permitting inter-band spectrum sharing and leasing in addition to the already allowed spectrum trading and intra-band spectrum sharing. These measures are intended to contribute to a more effective utilization of scarce spectrum resources, potentially leading to better quality of service and wider coverage for telecom customers.
Furthermore, Trai has proposed the sharing of both active and passive telecom infrastructure among service providers. This would involve telecom companies sharing not only radio access networks operating in shared frequency bands but also infrastructure elements such as buildings, towers, electrical equipment, and dark fiber. The regulator believes that this sharing of infrastructure will help telecom service providers reduce costs and improve their time to market, ultimately benefiting consumers by facilitating greater access to telecom services across the country.
In efforts to extend telecom coverage to underserved areas, Trai has recommended that projects under the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) should include provisions for sharing passive infrastructure with other telecom service providers. This move is designed to ensure that government-funded infrastructure benefits more than one telecom service provider, ultimately maximizing the impact of the resources allocated for expanding telecom services to remote or less developed areas.