Telecom and broadcast regulator TRAI has extended by a month the date for making submissions regarding a consultation paper on ‘Regulating Converged Digital Technologies and Services: Enabling Convergence of Carriage of Broadcasting and Telecommunication services’.

The discussion paper, released January 30, 2023, had a deadline of February 27.

Keeping in view the requests of stakeholders for extension of time for submission of comments, it has been decided to extend the last date for submission of written comments and counter-comments up to  March 27 and April 10, 2023, respectively, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India said yesterday.

In the discussion paper TRAI had stated over a period of time, various technological developments in digital markets have resulted in the convergence of devices, services, and networks.

Efficient utilization of resources, increased level of competition, more innovative user applications and technological developments are the main drivers of convergence, and, hence, the issue needed to be looked into from the point of view of adequate regulations.

The issues for consultation include the following:

# Whether the present laws are adequate to deal with convergence of carriage of broadcasting and telecommunication services.

# Whether the existing laws need to be amended to bring in synergies amongst different regulations made by an Act of Parliament to deal with convergence of services.

# Whether there is a need for having a comprehensive/converged legal framework (separate Comprehensive Code) to deal with convergence of carriage of broadcasting services and telecommunication services.

# Whether the present regime of separate licenses and distinct administrative establishments and different ministries for processing and taking decisions on licensing issues are able to adequately handle convergence.

# How can synergies be brought amongst various institutional establishments dealing with standardization, testing and certification.

# What steps are required to be taken for establishing a unified policy framework and spectrum management regime for the carriage of broadcasting services and telecommunication services?

# Beyond restructuring of legal, licensing, and regulatory frameworks of carriage of broadcasting and telecommunication services, whether other issues also need to be addressed for reaping the benefits of convergence holistically