Aruna Sundararajan, secretary, Department of Telecommunications

These are exciting times for the Indian telecom sector. As the country embarks on its digital journey, the sector will prove to be the biggest enabler of this transformation. The industry is already witnessing the emergence of several new technologies such as 5G, internet of things (IoT), big data, artificial intelligence, robotics and augmented reality. These are very different from their predecessors in terms of both the scope and impact they will have on businesses and people. Convergence, in terms of technology, competitive landscape, infrastructure sharing and strategic partnerships, is the way forward for the sector. For this, strong policy support and direction become extremely relevant as it would help bring together diver­se stakeholders for creating value. tele.net recently interacted with Aruna Sundararajan, secretary, Department of Telecommu­ni­­cations, on the sidelines of the India Mobile Cong­ress, 2017. She highlighted the government’s commitment to ensuring mobile and internet connectivity for every Indian. She also stated that work on the new National Telecom Policy (NTP) draft is in progress and a final announcement can be expected by early 2018. Excerpts…

What will be the key focus areas of the new NTP and when is it likely to be released?

We are aiming to get the first working draft ready by the end of 2017. This will be shared with the public as well as other key industry stakeholders. Thereafter, we expect to announce the policy by the first quar­ter of next year.

Broadly, the NTP is looking at how we can have a sustainable and financially healthy telecom industry. Its main focus areas are:

  • How do we provide mobile and robust internet connectivity to every Indian.
  • How do we ensure good quality of service (QoS).
  • How do we ensure that we have next-generation networks ready for dep­loying new technologies such as 5G, artificial in­telligence, augmented reality and others.

How prepared is the Indian market for 5G technology?

All operators and industry leaders are making concerted efforts to ensure India is 5G ready. To this end, the government has also recently constituted a high-level forum that includes international academics, and scholars from the Indian Insti­tutes of Technology and the Indian Insti­tute of Science, manufacturers and standards bodies.

“The NTP will focus on easeof-doing business, Make in India, QoS, next-generation networks and cybersecurity.”

What is the government’s stance on conducting the next round of spectrum auctions?

We will have to wait for the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) recommendations for the next round of spectrum auctions. TRAI is currently looking at it and we will take a call once we hear from the regulator.

What has been the impact of the roll-out of the new RoW rules on telecom infrastructure in the country?

India needs a huge amount of fibre, and the current amount of fibre is nowhere close to enough. The new rules will make a big difference be­cause, for the first time, local bodies have been asked to proactively give right of way (RoW) and charge reasonable rates. Therefore, in the coming months and years, we expect that this new policy will kick-start the roll-out of adequate fibre infrastructure in the country.

What is your view on the financial distress in the telecom sector? What policy interventions can be expected in this regard?

There is an interministerial group that is already looking at this issue. Its report will be presented before the Telecom Com­­mission soon. We are also trying to iden­tify and address the bottlenecks and issues in the new policy.

“Consolidation will happen. Whether there will be three players or four players cannot be said at this stage. But we will certainly not have a situation with 12-13 players in the sector.”

The union cabinet has recently app­ro­ved a revised implementation strategy for Bharat­Net. Are there any challenges that still remain unaddressed?

BharatNet has now picked up huge momentum. We have seen a seven-fold acceleration in project implementation. The electronics and fibre infrastructure is in place and 50,000 gram panchayats are already service-ready. Further, by Dec­em­ber 2017, 100,000 gram panchayats will have broadband connectivity.

How do you see the industry’s competitive landscape evolve over the years? Will there be only 3+1 operators going forward?

Consolidation will happen, but whether there will be three players or four players cannot be said at this stage because the nature of the industry is itself evolving. Telecom operators are morphing into much more than utilities and are providing a range of services. Technology platforms are also partnering with telecom operators. It is difficult to say what exactly it will look like, but we will certainly not have a situation with 12-13 players in the sector.

What policy moves can the industry expect over the next year?

India will have a brand new NTP. The NTP will focus on ease-of-doing business, Make in India, QoS, next-generation networks and cybersecurity. We can look forward to a framework that will enable the next wave of growth.