BSNL deploys One Lakh Indigenous 4G Sites; Network 5G-Ready: Scindia (See 'Corp Brief') ECI organises EVM/VVPAT Awareness Campaign in Poll-bound States (See 'Corp Brief') Trade Marks - non-use of a mark filed on proposed-to-be-used basis is irrelevant for assessing registrability of the mark: HC (See 'Legal Desk') Medicinal Plants sector to drive Viksit Bharat 2047: MoS (See 'Corp Brief') IBC/RTI - appellant cannot seek disclosure of internal notings & replies under RTI Act when same issue has already been disposed of earlier: IBBI (See 'Legal Desk') India designated Country of the Year at BIOFACH 2026, Germany (See 'Corp Brief') Delhi-NCR to be strengthened with expansion of Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (See 'Corp Brief') A&C - Applications for extending arbitral tribunal's mandate u/s 29A(4) must be filed exclusively before principal civil court of original jurisdiction: SC (See 'Legal Desk') RBI rolls out measures to strengthen Cooperative Banks' Financial Health (See 'Corp Brief') A&C - Arbitral proceedings are set to commence on date of receipt of notice invoking arbitration clause: SC (See 'Legal Desk') IWAI facilitates ODC Movement via Inland Waterways to Boost Assam's Semiconductor Ecosystem (See 'Corp Brief') A&C - Under pre-2015 amendment regime, once party consents to court order appointing arbitrator, they cannot subsequently challenge existence or validity of arbitration clause before arbitral tribunal: SC (See 'Legal Desk') Prasada inaugurates STQC Lab Automation Portal 'SATYA' (See 'Corp Brief') Indian Delegation visits Vietnam to Open New Opportunities in Silk, Sericulture & Handloom (See 'Corp Brief') Paswan releases Plastic Industry Status Report 2025 (See 'Corp Brief') Trade Mark - prior user rights override subsequent registration, particularly where adoption of deceptively similar subsequent trade mark, is not bona fide & is aimed at riding on existing goodwill of existing trade mark: HC (See 'Legal Desk') CCI registered 54 cases of anti-competitive practices in 2025 (See 'Corp Brief') National Institute of Ayurveda reaffirms role as global centre for education & patient care (See 'Corp Brief') Electronic Interlocking rolled out at 34 Railway Stations of N-E (See 'Corp Brief') PMLA - Objectives of enacting PMLA 2002, was attachment and confiscation of proceeds of crime which is quintessence so as to combat evil of money-laundering: SAFEMA (See 'Legal Desk') Khelo India Multipurpose Hall at SAI Sambhajinagar is addition to Olympic readiness: MoS (See 'Corp Brief') PM addresses community programme in Kuala Lumpur (See 'Corp Brief') A & C - mandate of arbitrators appointed unilaterally by one party, merits being terminated, where the other party explicitly refuses to waive applicability of Section 12(5) of the Act: HC (See 'Legal Desk') India-US Trade Agreement: Major boost for Textile Industry (See 'Corp Brief') IBC - In unavailability of adequate document/information and considering effect of limitation period, assigning of 'zero' value to trade receivables, without any due justification, is not appropriate: IBBI (See 'Legal Desk') India has signed MoUs with 23 countries for cooperation on Digital Public Infrastructure (See 'Corp Brief') A&C - Once arbitral tribunal has adopted plausible & reasonable interpretation of facts and contractual terms, courts cannot re-appreciate evidence or sit in appeal over award: SC (See 'Legal Desk') Railways inspects All Bridges Twice a Year (See 'Corp Brief') A&C - Permitting a civil suit to challenge an award confirmed by the Supreme Court would undermine the arbitral framework and public confidence in arbitration: HC (See 'Legal Desk') Over 1.25 lakh Livestock Farmers joined Virtual Awareness Program: MoS (See 'Corp Brief') A & C - Referral court not required to conduct detailed or contested inquiry & must limit itself to ascertaining whether underlying contract contains an arbitration clause covering disputes between the parties: HC (See 'Legal Desk') Pariksha Pe Charcha marks First-Ever multi-location nationwide engagement (See 'Corp Brief') SEBI - If Noticee violated regulation 23(1) and 23(4) of LODR Regulations as alleged in SCN, Noticee is liable for payment of monetary penalty in terms of section 15HB of SEBI Act: SEBI (See 'Legal Desk') TRAI issues Telecommunication Services Interconnection Regulations, 2026 (See 'Corp Brief') Trade Marks - Procedural defects & inadvertent errors which are curable should not be permitted to defeat substantive rights, unless shown to be deliberate, mala fide, or prejudicial to opposite party: HC (See 'Legal Desk') The Securities Markets Code, 2025: Strengthened Enforcement, Weakened Accountability? (See 'CORP EINSICHT')

TRAI releases recommendations on Connectivity to Access Service VNOs

Published: Sep 16, 2024

By TIOLCorplaws News Service

NEW DELHI, SEP 16, 2024: THE Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released its Recommendations on the Connectivity to Access Service VNOs From More Than one NSO.

Department of Telecommunications (DoT), through its letter dated 07.07.2023 on the subject - 'Connectivity to Access Service VNOs from more than one NSO', sought recommendations of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India under Section 11(1)(a) of the TRAI Act, 1997.

 In this regard, TRAI initiated a Consultation Paper on 'Connectivity to Access Service VNOs from more than one NSO' on 23.02.2024 for soliciting the comments and counter-comments of stakeholders. Comments were received from nine stakeholders and counter comments were received from four stakeholders. An Open House Discussion on the consultation paper was convened on 08.05.2024.

Based on the comments received from stakeholders and on its own analysis, TRAI has finalized its Recommendations on the Connectivity to Access Service VNOs from more than one NSO.

In the year 2016, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) introduced the regime of Virtual Network Operators (VNOs) in India. VNOs are treated as an extension of Network Service Operators (NSOs). VNOs can provide telecommunication services after obtaining telecommunication network resources from NSOs as per their mutual agreement.

As per the extant licensing regime in the country, VNOs are allowed to have agreements with more than one NSO for all services other than Access Service and such services which need numbering and unique identity of the customer. Through these recommendations, the Authority has recommended that there should be no cap on the number of Network Service Operators (NSOs) from whom an Access Service Virtual Network Operator (VNO) can take connectivity for providing wireline access service in a Licensed Service Area (LSA).

Through these recommendations, the Authority has also recommended that An Access Service VNO, intending to provide both wireless and wireline access services in an LSA, should be permitted to take connectivity from one NSO for wireless access service and other NSO(s) for wireline access service in the LSA. This flexibility should be given in addition to the extant regime under which an Access Service VNO, intending to provide both wireline and wireless access services in an LSA, is permitted to take connectivity for both wireline and wireless access services from the same NSO in the LSA.

The Authority is of the view that the implementation of these recommendations would give a boost to the quality of service of wireline access services in the country. It would also provide a flexibility to Access Service VNOs to obtain connectivity for wireless access service and wireline access service from different NSOs. This would enable Access Service VNOs to provide better service offerings to telecom consumers in the country.

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