TRAI Moots Assigning 5MHz Spectrum In 700 MHz Band To NCRTC For Regional Rapid Transit System Corridors Along Rail Tracks

Telecom regulator TRAI has recommended that the 5 MHz spectrum in the 700 MHz band should be assigned to National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) for use in Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridors along the railway tracks.
    
The frequency spectrum to be assigned to NCRTC shall be adjacent to the frequency spectrum assigned to Indian Railways in the 700 MHz band, TRAI said in its recommendations on Spectrum Requirements of NCRTC for Train Control System for RRTS Corridors.
    
"A separate category of permission/license for Captive Non-Public Network for Railway Networks (CNPN-R) may be created. However, the permission/licensing regime for CNPN-R may be kept very simple and light touch," the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) said.
    
The frequency spectrum assigned to NCRTC may also be assigned to other RRTS or metro rail networks, which are geographically separated and not likely to cause any interference with one another, it suggested.
    
To ascertain the feasibility of assigning the same frequency spectrum (assigned to NCRTC and other RRTS/ Metro rail network) to the telecom service providers on a non-interference basis, a field trial may be conducted involving the Ministry of Railways and the telecom service providers, under the supervision of the Department of Telecom (DoT).
    
"The Authority recommends that 5 MHz (paired) spectrum in 700 MHz-band be assigned to NCRTC for use in RRTS corridors along the railway tracks," TRAI said.
    
On Spectrum charging mechanism and payment terms, the regulator recommended that the auction-determined price for 10 years allocation should be equal to 0.5 times (half times) the price discovered in the latest 2022 auction for the 700 MHz spectrum band for the respective circles.
    
The payment terms shall be flexible providing options of full upfront payment, part upfront payments as well as equal annual instalments.
    
The DoT, in November 2021, approached TRAI to give its recommendations on the administrative assignment of spectrum to NCRTC and the quantum, pricing/ charging and terms and conditions for separate spectrum requirements of NCRTC in the 700 MHz band. 
    
The reference was also for "recommendations deemed fit for the purpose, including assignment of the same spectrum for other RRTS / Metro rail network pan-India".
    
A discussion paper on ‘Spectrum Requirements of NCRTC for Train Control System for RRTS Corridors’ was issued earlier this year.
    
Based on the comments received from the stakeholders and its own analysis, TRAI has finalised its view on the issue. 
    
NCRTC is implementing RRTS in eight rail corridors in NCR. In the first phase, NCRTC is developing three rail corridors of an approximate length of 350 km along Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut, Delhi-Gurugram-Alwar, and Delhi-Panipat.
    
In the second phase, NCRTC will develop five rail corridors along Delhi-Faridabad-Palwal, Ghaziabad-Khurja, Delhi-Bahadurgarh-Rohtak, Ghaziabad-Hapur, and Delhi-Shahdara-Baraut.