Next month, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) will once again revive an initiative which has eluded policy makers for nearly five years.
Based on feedback received from key players, TRAI plans to frame recommendations for a single regulation to govern the telecom, Internet and broadcasting sectors.
In effect, the regulator will be reopening the issues that were given a burial by the previous government in September 2003 when it put on hold the Convergence Bill and with it the effort to set up a super-regulator to oversee the information, communication and entertainment sectors.
The basis for its exertions is a consultation paper released this month.
The dimension of the gigantic task for TRAI may be gauged from the fact that the erstwhile National Democratic Alliance government stalled the efforts by the Ministries of Communications as well as Information and Broadcasting to push through the Convergence Bill and envisaged setting up a super-regulator.
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