TRAI recommends government to set up Digital Radio Broadcasting structure.

TRAI Chairman R S Sharma suggested that digital radio broadcasting should roll out services in a time-bound manner with a comprehensive framework being formulated.

TRAI, Telecom regulator has recommended the Central Government to prepare a detailed framework for broadcasting digital radio. The regulator had earlier also suggested to the government for this. 

TRAI Chairman R S Sharma suggested that digital radio broadcasting should roll out services in a time-bound manner with a comprehensive framework being formulated. 

TRAI Chairman further said that in order to encourage all the stakeholders, radio broadcasters, transmission equipment manufacturers and digital receiver manufacturers to work collectively to bring them on one platform and develop an ecosystem for digital radio broadcasting. 

The Government of India MUST come up with a detailed policy framework for digital radio broadcasting. TRAI Chairman RS Sharma said this while addressing a workshop of Digital Radio Vision for India.

Referring to suggestions of TRAI given in February 2018, he said that the regulator is also ready to give policy input for this if needed. 

The TRAI chairman added, 'But, I think if we want to do digital radio broadcasting that is important from every point of view ... quality, coverage, spectrum usage ... we need to ensure all our policy objectives There is a need for a policy and a clear road map… Digital India vision, disaster management, service quality, and service strength can all be realized. '

The TRAI chairman also informed that within the week a recommendation will also be issued regarding reserve pricing of FM Radio spectrum for Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. 

TRAI Chairman RS Sharma said, "We are prepared with the recommendations and we will liberate them in a week's time, where we will offer slots to all the remaining frequencies in the existing Tier 1/2 cities." Large scale and also Tier-3, where we were not able to auction before. 

For those cities also, we will provide recommendations related to the reserve price. Speaking on the occasion, Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi S Vempati said that the digital HD radio would be streamed on a pilot basis.

Vempati said direct-to-mobile broadcasting is the way onward and that Prasar Bharati recently entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with IIT-Kanpur to investigate this further.

"Couple of weeks back, director of IIT-Kanpur made a look to Prasar Bharati board on the road map for how we can develop direct-to-mobile broadcasting where distinction between audio and video blurs...and it is one pipe and uses the broadcast spectrum, does not strangle the telecom network and is available on every smartphone," he said.

Stating that listeners are gradually more consuming media and information on smartphones, he said it is important that broadcast signal in some compulsory form reaches every smartphone.

TRAI is of the outlook that opening of digital radio broadcasting would permit the radio broadcasters to offer a multiplicity of channels which will provide varied satisfied to the listeners but would also result in augment in the infiltration of radio broadcasting in 18 different markets and would result in growth of the income of the broadcasters and the government as well. 

The Authority is also of the view that in order to bring all the stakeholders – radio broadcasters, transmission apparatus manufacturers, and digital receiver’s manufacturers – on one platform and hearten them to work cooperatively for developing the network for digital radio broadcasting. 

TRAI said the government should come out with a comprehensive policy framework for Digital Radio Broadcasting in India which should provide a full roadmap for the rollout of digital radio broadcasting services in a time-bound manner.