NEW DELHI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Wednesday organised a dedicated workshop for various Central Government ministries and departments to raise awareness about its recently introduced “Rating of Properties for Digital Connectivity Regulations, 2024.” The half-day workshop was held at TRAI headquarters in New Delhi and saw participation from around 100 senior officials.
Representatives from organisations such as Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Central Public Works Department (CPWD), Town & Country Planning, NBCC, and the School of Planning and Architecture attended the session. The event aimed to encourage the adoption of digital infrastructure benchmarks in planning, design, and execution of government infrastructure projects.
TRAI Chairperson Anil Kumar Lahoti, while inaugurating the workshop, underscored the need for robust digital infrastructure in modern construction, noting that 70–80% of mobile data consumption happens indoors. He stressed the importance of including digital connectivity infrastructure (DCI) in buildings at par with traditional utilities like water, electricity, and sewage.
The star-rating framework introduced under the 2024 regulations provides a voluntary assessment system to rate buildings based on their readiness to support seamless digital connectivity. This includes parameters such as indoor mobile coverage, fibre entry provisions, Wi-Fi and 5G readiness, and rooftop access for telecom equipment.
During the technical session, Tejpal Singh, Advisor (QoS-I), TRAI, detailed the operational guidelines outlined in the framework and the rating manual developed for stakeholders including Digital Connectivity Rating Agencies (DCRAs), developers, architects, and telecom service providers.
Experts also discussed the integration of digital readiness into key government processes such as project guidelines, model RFPs, and infrastructure codes. A representative from BIS presented how the National Building Code of India (NBC 2016) can be revised to reflect information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure needs.
The event featured an interactive Q&A session where participants exchanged views on implementation challenges, policy alignment, and incorporation of the framework into large-scale urban and rural infrastructure projects.
The framework aligns with national missions like Digital India and Smart Cities, aiming to ensure high-speed, reliable digital access across all sectors—residential, commercial, and public.
TRAI reaffirmed its commitment to continued stakeholder engagement and capacity-building efforts to ensure nationwide adoption of the property rating system and to promote digitally inclusive urban development.
