Critical Communication Framework: Trai Developing Policies

New Delhi, Aug 22 (PTI) Infrastructure policies and other elements required for critical communication in the country are being developed rapidly, a top Trai official said on Friday.

Speaking at the Broadband India forum event on critical communications, Trai Chairman AK Lahoti said the regulator has given a series of recommendations to the government to strengthen the critical communication infrastructure.

"Policies, spectrum and standards are being rapidly developed to create a resilient, secure and integrated national framework for critical communication in the country," Lahoti said.

The government announced the National Digital Communication Policy 2018 to enhance the Public Protection and Disaster Relief (PPDR) network, he added.

In June 2018, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) issued its recommendations on next-generation PPDR communication networks to the government.

The regulator, in its recommendations, had suggested setting up a pan-India Integrated Broadband PPDR communication network.

Trai had also suggested a hybrid model of a dedicated BB-PPDR network for areas like metro cities, border districts, disaster-prone areas and sensitive areas like J&K and the northeast region.

Lahoti also mentioned that, based on references from the DoT, the regulator has recommended 10 MHz of paired spectrum in 700 MHz for railway safety in two different sets of recommendations.

BIF chairperson Aruna Sundararajan said EU member states are leading the way to establish the EU Critical Communication Systems (EUCCS) with an aim to realise a new pan-European operational mobility capability and create the ability for public safety responders to carry out their operations whenever they need to.

"In India also, given the vast size and diversity of our subcontinent, we need to have something absolutely similar," she said.

Sundararajan said the country has seen the mix of technologies playing their roles during Operation Sindoor.

"While technology is key, we need the enabling ecosystem standards, interoperability across agencies, security, encryption to protect sensitive data, redundancy and resilience to withstand disasters and, of course, the increasing number of cyber-attacks," she said.