Tag: digital inclusion

TRAI Invites Public Comments on Ways to Make Smartphone Affordable in India

Telecom regulator TRAI on Thursday invited public comments to explore ways and means to make smartphone affordable in the country for digital inclusion.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) as part of its consultation paper on “Digital Inclusion in the Era of Emerging Technologies” will assess if measures taken by the government such as focussing on local manufacturing are sufficient to bring down the prices of smartphones in India.

“What measures should be taken to make digital devices and digital connectivity affordable to the citizens for empowering them to maximize the benefits of an inclusive digital society?” TRAI asked in the consultation paper.

In the paper, TRAI has cited example of smartphone financing and exploring viability of second hand smartphones in the country.

The regulator sees that the rapid pace of technological advancements and launch of 5G enabled services including artificial intelligence and machine learning can widen digital divide if not made affordable and accessible to marginalized communities and underserved regions.

“Unequal access of infrastructure, limited digital literacy, and affordability issues could hinder the equitable distribution and utilization of emerging technologies, exacerbating existing disparities in digital inclusion. To ensure comprehensive digital inclusion, it is imperative to address the gaps which are likely to arise due to emerging technologies,” TRAI said.

The regulator has fixed October 16 as last date for giving comments and October 31 for counter comments on the paper.

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TRAI to Bring Consultation Paper on Digital Inclusion, Will Focus on Devices, Connectivity, Literacy

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) will bring out a consultation paper to further strengthen digital inclusion, looking at three key aspects of devices, connectivity and literacy.

The consultation paper on the issue is expected to be released in coming months, TRAI Chairman PD Vaghela said on the sidelines of India Digital Summit 2023, organised by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI).

The consultation paper on anvil is expected to look at three key aspects — devices, connectivity and literacy.

Speaking at the event, Vaghela said: “We are planning to come out with a consultation paper to comprehensively address and look at further strengthening digital inclusion in the country.” The TRAI Chief also outlined eight challenges, and said increased emphasis on these would accelerate digital momentum.

These areas include revamp of digital governance Infrastructure, challenges arising out of convergence and reduced investment cycles due to technological disruptions, and keeping technology at the core of policy formulations.

Last week, TRAI cracked down on unauthorised, pesky promotional messages by telemarketers as it issued directions to telecom operators to act swiftly to stop the misuse of headers and message templates.

To stop such misuse and curb unwanted messages, the regulator has directed access service providers (telecom operators) to reverify all registered headers and message templates on Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) platform and block all unverified headers and message templates within 30 and 60 days, respectively.

The move is expected to come as a relief to mobile users, annoyed by deluge of unauthorised, pesky promotional messages. Telecom operators have also been asked to ensure that temporary headers are deactivated immediately after the set time duration lapses.

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