We probably don’t need a survey to conclude that the telecom regulatory environment in India is not efficient rather very poor. It is quite evident in all the recent actions of TRAI, the pace at which the actions for 3G auction are going, the way MNP implementation is delayed for a long time, the usage of the available spectrum or even the latest TRAI’s move on restricting content ratios rather than trying to solve the root problem of very low actual throughput obtained by the broadband subscribers which resulted in FUP’s by all the ISP’s.
A recent survey by LIRNEasia,a Sri Lanka-based research company on the Telecom regulatory environment in Asia conveyed the same,the research done by LIRNEasia shows that delay in the auction of 3G spectrum and speculation around the allocation of 2G spectrum made India least efficient in terms of management of spectrum. Reportedly, India’s latest TRE scores for this dimension have marginally decreased since 2006, when the survey was last conducted. Pakistan, however, earned top rank in this field due to its policies to expeditiously process applications for the use of spectrum as well as monitor the usage of spectrum.According to the survey, Pakistan, which got a high TRE score of 3.9 out of 5 for market entry, emerged as the most conducive market for new entrants.
