Today’s telecom news includes announcements on TRAI’s rules for foreign SIM cards in IoT devices, collection of fees from Indian ISPs, among others.
Goa IT Dept to Collect Back Fees from ISPs for Telecom Cable Use on Power Poles
The Goa IT department will collect fees from internet service providers (ISPs) and cable operators for using electricity poles for telecom cables. Charges apply for the past five years. Companies such as Edgecom and Green Fibre have been asked to pay ₹3 crore each. The Right of Way Rules (2024) do not allow regularising unauthorised cables. Operators must remove existing cables and apply again. ISPs are required to submit route details, safety certificates, and cable colour codes. Applications and payments must be made through the GatiShakti Sanchar portal, Times of India reports.
Railway Ministry Denies Demand to Restore Signal & Telecom Member Post, Plans Major Recruitment Drive
The Indian Railway Ministry rejected the railway union’s demand to recreate the post of Member (Signal and Telecom), abolished in 2020. The union petitioned the Prime Minister’s Office in September 2024 for a dedicated Member (S&T). The Ministry responded that reinstating the post is not feasible currently. The Ministry plans to recruit 6,374 technicians across 51 technical categories, including S&T, to fill vacancies in 17 railway zones and production units. It also started a pilot project to hire contractual S&T staff at major stations in four zones for two years to meet demand from network expansion and modernization.
TRAI Proposes Rules for Foreign SIM Cards in Exported IoT Devices
TRAI has released a consultation paper to regulate the sale of foreign telecom service providers’ SIM and eSIM cards for use in machine-to-machine (M2M) and Internet of Things (IoT) devices meant for export. The move follows a request from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to provide recommendations on terms and conditions for issuing and renewing No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for importing and selling foreign SIM/eSIM cards for export purposes. TRAI is inviting comments from the public and industry stakeholders by August 1, 2025, with counter-comments due by August 18, 2025.
TelecomLead.com News Desk
