Latest news with #CellularOperatorsAssociationofIndia
Hans India
02-06-2025
- Business
- Hans India
COAI welcomes govt's move to stop illegal signal boosters on e-commerce platforms
New Delhi: The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) on Monday welcomed the government's new guidelines aimed at stopping the online sale of illegal mobile signal boosters and wireless jammers. The guidelines, issued by the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) on May 27, are seen as a major step to improve network quality and protect consumers from the harmful effects of unauthorised radio equipment. The new rules, officially titled 'Guidelines for the Prevention and Regulation of Illegal Listing and Sale of Radio Equipment including Walkie Talkies on E-Commerce Platforms, 2025', clearly ban the listing and sale of mobile signal boosters and jammers on online shopping platforms. This is outlined in Clause 4(i)(b), which directly addresses these devices, citing their role in causing network disruptions and customer complaints. The COAI has long raised concerns about the unchecked sale and use of these illegal devices. According to the industry body, these signal boosters are often installed without permission in homes and commercial buildings, leading to serious problems in mobile network performance for licensed telecom operators. COAI Director General, Lt Gen Dr. S.P. Kochhar (retd), thanked both the Department of Consumer Affairs and the Department of Telecommunications for taking strong action on this issue. "Clause 4(i)(b) of the guidelines is a strong validation of our concerns and advocacy. We believe this proactive step will go a long way in ensuring quality of service and upholding consumer rights," he said. The COAI urged all e-commerce companies to fully follow the new rules and called for strict enforcement to ensure compliance. The association also expressed its commitment to working with the government and other stakeholders to protect the country's digital communications infrastructure. The move is expected to improve mobile network services and reduce interference caused by illegal radio equipment, benefiting both telecom providers and millions of mobile users across India.
Time of India
27-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
6 GHz-driven Wi-Fi to boost innovation across India: Jyotiraditya Scindia
NEW DELHI: The Central government's decision to delicense the lower 6 GHz band will drive the proliferation of next-generation Wi-Fi technologies such as Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7, and boost innovation in the country, union telecom minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Tuesday. 'We have just delicensed 500 MHz in our 6 GHz spectrum, and this will roll out these new, next generation technologies like Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7, which will result in higher speeds, ultra-low-latency, and seamless capacity,' Scindia said at an industry conference. 'With this technology, offices will no longer remain the hub of innovation. Our homes, each individual home, each rural hamlet, will become the hub of innovation in the days to come,' the union minister said. The 6 GHz band-driven Wi-Fi can offer broadband speeds of up to 9.6 Gbps compared to 1.3 Gbps in the 5 GHz band, and 600 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz band. Globally, several countries, including the US, the UK, and South Korea, have already delicensed the mid-band airwaves for Wi-Fi use. Wi-Fi in India is currently supported by 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. These bands, however, suffer from congestion, offer relatively lower speeds, and cannot adequately support the booming number of devices. Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7, by contrast, will fuel the adoption of applications such as 4K streaming and online gaming, AR/VR services, and serve as a foundation for the rapidly expanding IoT ecosystem. The technology industry, represented by the Broadband India Forum (BIF) and others, had been demanding that the government delicense the lower portion of 6 GHz, between 5925 MHz to 7125 MHz, for Wi-Fi. Telecom carriers, led by the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), however, had been lobbying that the government identify and auction the entire 6 GHz band for fifth-generation (5G) and 6G services. 'I believe that broadband is no longer a pipeline, but is a platform for progress. Now we have to ensure that this platform for progress reaches every hand, lights every home, and reaches every corner of our country,' Scindia said. The union minister exhorted the industry to increase the utilisation of the BharatNet infrastructure , suggesting that the companies devise fiber-sharing models, empower local entrepreneurs, and drive digital onboarding of citizens for broadband services. 'I would suggest to you six foundational pillars on which our mission has to be based. These are affordability, availability, accessibility, quality, safety, and the use of emerging technology such as AI, IoT and satellite to reach the last mile,' Scindia said.
Time of India
04-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
High altitude platforms can provide secure, flexible coverage compared to satellites: COAI
High altitude platforms like solar power drones, balloons, airships, etc, can provide secure and flexible coverage at lower cost compared to satellites, a senior official of telecom industry body COAI said. Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) Director General S P Kochhar said countries like the US, Japan, the UK, and companies like Airbus (Zephyr) and SoftBank are investing heavily in HAPS technologies and India should start working on regulatory framework for HAPS operations, spectrum allocation and airspace management . Kochhar's remarks come at a time when COAI key members Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio have joined hands with Elon Musk-led Starlink for satellite services after initially opposing and obstructing its bid to enter the India market. Starlink is yet to get government's approval to start services in India pending security clearance. "The main purpose of HAPS is similar to satellites, but with the advantage of being able to be deployed rapidly and at a lower cost. HAPS operate at much lower altitudes (20-50 km) compared to geostationary or low-earth orbit satellites, resulting in significantly lower latency -- critical for real-time communication and military operations," Kochhar said while clarifying that it is personal view and not the view of the industry body. He said HAPS platforms can be rapidly deployed, repositioned or recovered, providing tactical flexibility that satellites cannot offer once in orbit which makes them ideal for Disaster Recovery and Emergency Networks, in situations of floods or earthquakes for emergency communications and monitoring in the disaster zones. "HAPS are less susceptible to certain space-based threats such as anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons, orbital debris or jamming attacks targeted at high-orbit infrastructure. From a security standpoint, HAPS also allow for persistent surveillance of sensitive border regions or maritime zones without violating international space treaties or depending on expensive satellite constellations," Kochhar said. Satellites operate at higher altitude and there are high chances that their signal may spill over beyond the country's border. He said there is a need for comprehensive regulatory policy for HAPS operations, spectrum allocation and airspace management in India as well as investments in indigenous research and development through DRDO, ISRO and private aerospace startups are crucial. "The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) needs to identify and allocate specific spectrum bands for HAPS services, while ensuring compatibility with existing satellite and terrestrial networks. Solar-powered UAVs suited for Indian climate conditions (monsoon, dust storms, high humidity) need localised innovation," Kochhar said.
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Business Standard
04-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Drones can provide secure coverage compared to satellites: COAI DG
High altitude platforms like solar power drones, balloons, airships, etc, can provide secure and flexible coverage at lower cost compared to satellites, a senior official of telecom industry body COAI said. Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) Director General S P Kochhar said countries like the US, Japan, the UK, and companies like Airbus (Zephyr) and SoftBank are investing heavily in HAPS technologies and India should start working on regulatory framework for HAPS operations, spectrum allocation and airspace management. Kochhar's remarks come at a time when COAI key members Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio have joined hands with Elon Musk-led Starlink for satellite services after initially opposing and obstructing its bid to enter the India market. Starlink is yet to get government's approval to start services in India pending security clearance. "The main purpose of HAPS is similar to satellites, but with the advantage of being able to be deployed rapidly and at a lower cost. HAPS operate at much lower altitudes (20-50 km) compared to geostationary or low-earth orbit satellites, resulting in significantly lower latency -- critical for real-time communication and military operations," Kochhar said while clarifying that it is personal view and not the view of the industry body. He said HAPS platforms can be rapidly deployed, repositioned or recovered, providing tactical flexibility that satellites cannot offer once in orbit which makes them ideal for Disaster Recovery and Emergency Networks, in situations of floods or earthquakes for emergency communications and monitoring in the disaster zones. "HAPS are less susceptible to certain space-based threats such as anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons, orbital debris or jamming attacks targeted at high-orbit infrastructure. From a security standpoint, HAPS also allow for persistent surveillance of sensitive border regions or maritime zones without violating international space treaties or depending on expensive satellite constellations," Kochhar said. Satellites operate at higher altitude and there are high chances that their signal may spill over beyond the country's border. He said there is a need for comprehensive regulatory policy for HAPS operations, spectrum allocation and airspace management in India as well as investments in indigenous research and development through DRDO, ISRO and private aerospace startups are crucial. "The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) needs to identify and allocate specific spectrum bands for HAPS services, while ensuring compatibility with existing satellite and terrestrial networks. Solar-powered UAVs suited for Indian climate conditions (monsoon, dust storms, high humidity) need localised innovation," Kochhar said.
Time of India
01-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Spammers turn to OTT networks as telcos adopt stringent measures: COAI
NEW DELHI: The Cellular Operators Association of India ( Coai ), which represents Reliance Jio , Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea , said that spam or pesky communications are lately shifting to over-the-top (OTT) apps such as Meta-owned WhatsApp, following telecom carriers taking stringent preventive measures. 'Telecom service providers (TSP) networks have become very stringent and are not permitting spam due to government and their own measures. OTT players, on the contrary, are doing nothing,' SP Kochhar, director-general, Cellular Operators Association of India told ETTelecom. Kochhar said that the spammers are shifting from telco to OTT networks, and they go about it unannotated. The Delhi-based industry group, together with London-based GSMA, has been advocating strict steps against OTTs or mobile app providers, arguing that they must be brought under the regulatory ambit, and offer a fair share for carriers' network usage. Studies suggest that nearly 85% of the data over the telecommunications network is being used for multiple OTT applications. Citing Bharti Airtel's instance, he said that the telco, which has come out with an AI-based app, has been received very well, and added that Airtel would probably come out with a better version soon. 'Jio is also doing a lot of work on this. They cannot be left behind. The moment they are left behind, they lose competition,' Kochhar added. In September last year, Airtel introduced an AI-powered spam detection tool, a first-of-its-kind that alerts users for incoming 'suspected spam' calls. Following firm network monitoring by telcos, the spammers as well as fraudsters are largely shifting to OTT platforms, which has given rise to cases involving digital arrest and banking fraud using screen share. Recently, the telco group sought to bring mobile apps under the country's cybersecurity regime. Last month, the sector regulator, in discussions with the Joint Committee of Regulators (JCOR), recommended a collective approach to deal with unsolicited commercial communication (UCC), including on OTT and RCS communication platforms.
