The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has asked the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to resolve issues faced by telecom operators pertaining to information regarding licence norms, so that they can fulfill their 3G/broadband wireless access (BWA) rollout obligations.

The regulator has stated that operators have raised concern over incomplete and erroneous information about rural short distance charging areas (SDCA). A rural SDCA is an area where 50 per cent of the population resides in rural areas. TRAI has thus asked DoT to clarify the number of SDCAs in various districts to ensure that 3G/BWA rollouts are completed within deadlines.

Presently, DoT does not have a complete list of rural SDCAs. For instance, there is no data for states such as Rajasthan and the North East. This came to light, when operators including Vodafone India and Bharti  Airtel approached DoT seeking a list of rural SDCAs that they are required to cover as part of the rollout obligation. DoT had in turn set up a committee to formulate a list based on the national census. However, the list prepared was found to have several errors.

The guidelines issued in 2010 state that operators who were awarded 3G spectrum are required to offer services in 50 per cent of the district headquarters within five years, of which at least 15 per cent should be in an SDCA. In the case of BWA, operators are required to cover at least 50 per cent of the rural SDCAs within five years.