TRAI releases Paper on 'Review of Rating of Properties for Digital Connectivity Regulations'
Published: Feb 28, 2026
By TIOLCorplaws News Service
NEW DELHI, FEB 28, 2026: THE Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released a Consultation Paper on 'Review of Rating of Properties for Digital Connectivity Regulations, 2024 (7 of 2024)' yesterday.
Digital connectivity has become a critical enabler of modern living and economic activity. Over the last decade, rapid digitalisation has transformed governance, education, healthcare, commerce, innovation, and social interaction. Studies and industry reports indicate that a significant proportion of data consumption occurs inside buildings. This trend is particularly pronounced with the deployment of advanced mobile technologies such as 4G and 5G, which operate on higher frequency bands to deliver high data rates but are more susceptible to signal attenuation due to walls, building materials, and construction design. As a result, in-building digital connectivity has become a critical determinant of User Experience and Quality of Service (QoS).
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India lay down the standards of Quality of Service to be provided by the service providers and ensure the quality of service and conduct the periodical survey of such service provided by the service providers so as to protect the interest of the consumers of telecommunication services.
To address these challenges of quality of service inside buildings or properties in a structured manner, TRAI had notified the 'Rating of Properties for Digital Connectivity Regulations, 2024 (07 of 2024)' on 25th October 2024 , for rating of properties based on their digital connectivity readiness. The framework aims to promote collaboration among Property Managers, Digital Connectivity Rating Agencies (DCRAs), Service providers, and other stakeholders, while ensuring transparency, accountability, and self-sustainability.
To operationalize the Regulations, TRAI further issued the Rating Manual on 13 th August 2025. The rating manual provides the operational backbone of the Digital Connectivity Rating framework, laying down the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders, rating methodology and assessment stages, criteria and sub-criteria for rating including their scoring approach, and detailed procedures for application, evaluation, certification, renewal, and appeals.
TRAI has also conducted multiple awareness and presentation sessions for various stakeholders. Based on stakeholder inputs received during awareness and presentation sessions for early implementation of the Digital Connectivity Rating framework, it has been observed that while the Regulations provide a sound and comprehensive framework, however, few areas required review to provide additional clarity and refinement. These refinements are aimed at improving transparency for consumers, addressing practical issues faced by Property Managers and DCRAs during implementation, and ensuring that the framework remains aligned with on-ground realities, without altering its core intent, principles, or assessment methodology.
It is observed that the existing Five-Star rating needs improvements to sufficiently differentiate between properties with materially different levels of digital connectivity performance, particularly where scores lie close to the threshold values. Accordingly, in the consultation paper it has been proposed to refine the rating scale by introducing additional half-star levels, expanding the scale from five to nine rating levels.
In respect of properties under construction, it is observed that a large proportion of properties are marketed and sold during the construction phase, while the existing framework provides for award of ratings only after completion of Digital Connectivity Infrastructure (DCI) and on-ground assessment under Due Diligence Stage–II. To address this gap, it has been proposed in the consultation paper to supplement the existing rating process by introducing a design-stage assessment and certification mechanism for under-construction properties. The final Digital Connectivity Rating shall continue to be awarded only after completion of construction and Due Diligence Stage–II, thereby preserving assessment integrity.
In relation to the categorisation of property types, it has been observed that certain property categories under the Regulation may not fully align with actual usage patterns and digital connectivity requirements. Since categorisation under the Regulations is intended solely to determine the applicability of relevant rating criteria, it has been proposed to realign certain property types between Category 'A' and Category 'B' to ensure consistency, relevance, and effectiveness of the assessment framework.
Further, stakeholders indicated that some Property Managers may prefer to assess the present level of Digital Connectivity Infrastructure (DCI) in their properties and undertake improvements before applying for a formal rating, particularly since awarded ratings become publicly visible. In view of this, it has been proposed to enable Optional Digital Connectivity Audit mechanism, whereby Property Managers may engage a registered DCRA to undertake a digital connectivity audit against the prescribed criteria and sub-criteria for evaluation and improvement purposes.
The Consultation Paper on 'Review of the Rating of Properties for Digital Connectivity Regulations, 2024 (7 of 2024)', has been placed on TRAI's website www.trai.gov.in, seeking inputs from the stakeholders and telecom consumers. The written comments on the issues raised in the Consultation Paper, or any additional suggestions, may be sent on TRAI website in specific template mentioned in Annexure-I of the Consultation paper, or to adv-qos1@trai.gov.in with a copy to ja.qos1@trai.gov.in by 23 rd March 2026.
For additional queries, please contact:- Tejpal Singh, Advisor (QoS-1) E-mail: adv-qos1@trai.gov.in | Tel: +91-11-20907759
