The government has appointed former Railway Board chairman and CEO Anil Kumar Lahoti as chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The post has been vacant for about four months after the retirement of PD Vaghela on September 30.
According to the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Anil Kumar Lahoti as Chairman and former CEO of Railway Board, to serve as Chairman of TRAI for three years, till the age of 65.
One of the most important objectives of TRAI is to issue rates and other information on the administrative allocation of spectrum to satellite operators after the telecom department sends a reference. This can only be done when the chairman is present.
Besides that, Trai will need to come up with recommendations on more than 12 pending consultation papers, including critical ones on national broadcasting policy and E and V band airwaves, besides quality of services and digital transformation through the 5G ecosystem.
With the notification of the Telecommunications Act 2023, Trai’s contentious papers on finalizing the mode of satellite spectrum allocation and regulating over-the-top players though have become infructuous.
