MANU/TRAI/0109/2016

Department/Board : Telecom Regulatory Authority of India

Press Release No. : 101/2016

Date : 18.10.2016

TRAI releases Consultation Paper on "Spectrum, Roaming and QoS related requirements in Machine-to-Machine (M2M) Communications"

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has today released a Consultation Paper on "Spectrum, Roaming and QoS related requirements in Machine-to-Machine (M2M) Communications".

2. TRAI received a reference from Department of Telecommunications (DoT) on 5th January, 2016. Through the reference the DoT sought the recommendations of TRAI on three aspects related to M2M communications:

a) M2M Spectrum Requirements

b) M2M Roaming Requirements

c) Quality of Service in M2M Services

3. M2M is the basis for automated information exchange between machines and can impact various industry verticals like Smart City, Smart Grid, Smart Water, Smart Transportation, Smart Health etc. Government of India has recognized the potential of M2M and emphasized the same in the National Telecom Policy 2012.

4. While formulating this consultation paper on M2M issues, apart from the specific issues referred by DoT through the reference, the Authority realised that certain other regulatory aspects including policy and licensing framework for M2M service providers, various technical challenges in implementation, allocation and utilization of various network codes, data protection, and privacy issues also need to be deliberated. Therefore, these issues have also been included in this Consultation Paper for comments/inputs of the stakeholders. The Consultation Paper has been placed on TRAI's website.

5. Written comments on the issues raised in the Consultation Paper are invited from the stakeholders by 15th November, 2016 and counter-comments by 29th November, 2016.

6. The comments and counter-comments may be sent, preferably in electronic form at advmn@trai.gov.in. For any clarification/ information Shri Sanjeev Banzal, Advisor (Network Spectrum & Licensing), TRAI may be contacted at Telephone Number +91-11-23210481.