TRAI ne Jio aur Airtel se maanga clarification!
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) ne Reliance Jio aur Bharti Airtel se poochha hai ki unke 5G-based home WiFi services ko kaise classify karte hain. Basically, TRAI yeh jaanna chahta hai ki unke AirFiber offerings ko wireless broadband maana jaaye ya wired broadband. Isse data reporting mein confusion ho sakta hai.
Kya hai poora maamla?
TRAI ne May 27 ko dono companies ko direct kiya tha. Unhe concern hai ki jo users 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) se high-speed internet use kar rahe hain, unhe kahin “wireline” ya “fixed-line” subscribers toh nahi bataya jaa raha. Agar aisa hua toh broadband penetration ka official data galat ho sakta hai. TRAI wants transparency.
Industry walon ka kya kehna hai?
Industry experts keh rahe hain ki telecom firms globally accepted definitions follow kar rahe hain, jismein International Telecommunication Union aur TRAI khud fixed wireless access ko wireline broadband ka part maante hain. Unka kehna hai ki since 5G FWA ek fixed location par install hota hai aur consistent high-speed internet deta hai, toh yeh fixed broadband service hi hai, access medium kuch bhi ho.
AirFiber ka role
Jio aur Airtel ke ‘AirFiber’ services, jo plug-and-play broadband ke roop mein market kiye jaate hain, 5G use karke bina physical cables ke internet dete hain. Yeh services telecom towers se customer ke ghar tak wirelessly operate karti hain, lekin aksar fixed hoti hain aur traditional broadband setups ki tarah use hoti hain.
TRAI ki chinta
TRAI ki chinta yeh hai ki pichhle saal Jio ke wireline subscriber numbers mein ekdum se spike aaya, aur phir regulator ke intervene karne ke baad decline ho gaya. Isliye TRAI ne Jio aur Airtel ko formally letter likh kar details maangi hain ki woh apne 5G FWA users ko kaise categorize karte hain, aur kya woh reporting licensing norms aur ‘wireline services’ ki technical definitions ke according hai.
Classification kyun important hai?
Yeh classification important hai kyunki isse pata chalta hai ki India broadband growth ko kaise track karta hai aur telecom companies ko unki services ke liye kaise charge kiya jaata hai. Wireless users ko wired batane se India ke fiber connectivity progress ki galat picture mil sakti hai, jo national digital targets ke liye critical hai. Isse revenue par bhi asar padta hai, kyunki wireless aur wireline categories ke beech levies aur license fees alag-alag hote hain.
Jio ka jawaab
Jio ne TRAI ko jawaab diya hai ki AirFiber ko wireline broadband maana jaana chahiye kyunki device user ke premises par fixed hai aur traditional broadband connection ki tarah function karta hai. Company ITU dwara prescribe kiye gaye standards ko follow kar rahi hai. Lekin, TRAI ka kehna hai ki transport layer—signal fiber, cable, ya wireless spectrum se deliver kiya jaa raha hai—classification ke liye essential hai.
Aage kya hoga?
Regulator ka final ruling Jio aur Airtel ke liye hi nahi, balki India mein FWA services ke future ke liye bhi important ho sakta hai. Isse subscriber data kaise report kiya jaata hai, levies kaise calculate kiye jaate hain, aur India fixed broadband targets par progress kaise measure karta hai, isme bhi changes aa sakte hain.
Filhaal, Jio aur Airtel ke AirFiber services ke existing users ko connection speeds ya pricing mein koi change nahi dikhega. Lekin yeh connections kaise count hote hain, isse telecom reporting aur policy ka landscape badal sakta hai.
