In response to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s consultation on digital transformation, industry players said that to expedite the adoption of 5G and Internet of Things (IoT) devices, the government will simplify the approval process and engage the sector. He said there is a need to provide financial incentives to start-ups. Through his 5G ecosystem, which ended on January 22nd.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in its advisory document has envisioned Internet of Things (IoT), machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, and metaverse as some of the key applications of the 5G ecosystem. The regulator wanted him to comment on three main issues. How do we increase 5G adoption and what are the barriers? How to increase adoption of IoT devices and develop regulatory policies to maintain user privacy and data security. The third is the Metaverse and how to regulate the privacy and content moderation issues that may arise.
Key hurdles to 5G deployment highlighted by stakeholders included infrastructure limitations, spectrum availability and affordability, and regulatory hurdles in obtaining permits and licenses. All stakeholders called for easing the spectrum allocation and approval processes related to the installation of small cells on available street equipment.
Mr Vi praised the new Telecommunications Act of 2023 for making the process of obtaining RoW (right of way) approval easier. Struggling telecommunications service providers (TSPs) also want a review of heavy carrier levies and huge spectrum charges.
BSNL recommended the government to create an overarching regulatory body that would create a single set of policies and regulatory guidelines for the 5G ecosystem, including cross-sectoral stakeholders. Vi, Ericsson and Nokia also called for the creation of a cross-sector multi-stakeholder group to develop 5G use cases and a roadmap to identify 5G deployment.
Jio called net neutrality and data billing rules “restrictive” and called for a more agile regulatory framework to deal with 5G.
Tata Communication, Ericsson and Vi recommended the creation of a 5G sandbox to test new use cases. Tata Communications also warned that India should “be mindful of repeated mistakes, especially those related to allowing a single company to monopolize the 5G market.”
Nasscom and Jio want a phase-out date for 2G and 3G networks to reduce operating costs and develop new 5G cases. Vi said that the penetration rate of 5G mobile phones and smartphones is low due to their high cost. Vi and Nokia are hoping for device subsidies that can be provided through the TSP to users who “give up their feature phones and buy cheaper smartphones,” Nokia said.
Vi also wants 4G/5G infrastructure to be declared critical infrastructure under the new Telecommunications Act so that incidents of vandalism and theft of communication equipment can be addressed. It also calls for guidelines on “vandal-resistant design, installation, and real-time protection of infrastructure components.”
Tata Communications wants the Ministry of Telecommunications to allow micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to set up cellular private networks for their own use without relying on TSPs. Currently, all licenses for setting up networks are routed through the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
The Broadband India Forum (BIF), an industry association whose members include Google, Amazon, and Meta, calls for direct spectrum allocation for 5G to enable new use cases for 5G: M2M communications in private networks. recommended that it should be provided. companies. This was approved by the Federal Cabinet on June 15, 2022, but has not yet been implemented.
Financial incentives for IoT adoption
To accelerate the adoption of IoT, BSNL, Tata Communications and Vi have called for relaxation of policies and regulations for developers and startups working on IoT. BSNL wants import duties on telecom equipment to be eased to encourage research and development on 5G and IoT use cases.
BIF and Vi called for financial incentives for startups to focus on IoT. These incentives can include government grants, seed funding, long-term tax deferrals, subsidies, subsidized financing, tax breaks, and discounted access to technology such as analytics platforms and cloud services. Nokia wants IoT devices to be subsidized for small businesses and agricultural applications. . We would like to see governments offer rebates and vouchers on IoT home devices to encourage consumer adoption.
Jio also said that IoT and M2M applications covering critical sectors such as manufacturing, telemedicine and healthcare, connected cars, home appliances, and smart meters should be covered if the government orders an internet shutdown. It was recommended that it not be. “It is fitting that these SIMs comply with restrictive communications requirements and therefore cannot be used for any anti-social activities and can be easily exempted from data service shutdown requirements,” Jio said.
Nasscom and Jio have asked the government to review the current restrictions on data connectivity for IoT and M2M applications. Currently, data communication or M2M SIM is only allowed for 4 predefined public URLs/IPs. “This limitation has proven to be a major problem for most popular M2M solutions,” he wrote Jio.
Jio also called for standardization and interoperability standards for M2M devices.
Jio and Nasscom have also requested the government to come up with a uniform policy for integration of Subscription Manager Secure Routing (SM-SR) platform in all M2M devices imported into India. Jio has asked TRAI to “consult and issue a clear policy” that addresses both global interoperability and national security requirements.
Privacy and security
BSNL wants TRAI to focus more on data privacy, data protection and cybersecurity as the scale of IoT and M2M communications increases.
BIF said that almost 98% of IoT traffic is unencrypted. BIF called for all M2M and IoT data to be encrypted. It recommended that the National Trust Center (NTC) framework be made into an independent legal entity and that all new devices be required to have his NTC certification. BIF said that for non-critical IoT applications such as smart meter reading, end-to-end encryption can be an option to control the price of IoT devices.
Vi wants a common framework and methodology to manage sector-specific IoT security and privacy guidelines, focused on interoperability, compliance and assessment, and adaptability to emerging threats . Given the different risk profiles of different sectors, sector-specific regulatory requirements, varying data sensitivities (telemetry vs. personal data), diverse operating environments (factory vs. home), and legacy system integration, sector-specific guidelines may Is required.
Regulations need to be clarified
Tata Communications said the new Telecommunications Act specifically addresses the requirements of new and emerging areas in the telecommunications sector such as captive non-public network (CNPN) services, M2M communications and IoT. Therefore, this law may fail to address the issues affecting these businesses leading to lost opportunities.
The BIF said the exemptions granted under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP) were “not consistent with the principles of necessity and proportionality” enshrined in the Supreme Court’s Puttaswamy judgment on the right to privacy. . “Such exemptions therefore need to be constructed narrowly in order to foster greater confidence among the public regarding the sharing and processing of personal data,” the BIF wrote.
Nasscom said it could not comment on the effectiveness of the DPDP Act to address IoT-related concerns as the DPDP Act relies on delegated legislation and the operational practices of the Data Protection Commission.
Nokia says it wants clarity on how the DPDP law applies to IoT devices, particularly regarding data minimization and user consent.
