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Source: The post is based on the article “Year End Review 2022: Ministry of Communications” published in PIB on 16th December 2022
What is the News?
The Ministry of Communications has launched several initiatives and schemes in 2022.
What are the schemes and initiatives launched by the Ministry of Communications in 2022?
Increase in Telephone Subscription: Total telephone connections have shown a growth of 25.42% from 2014 to 2022. The rural teledensity jumped from 44% in 2014 to 57.91% in 2022.
Indian Telegraph Right of Way (Amendment) Rules, 2022: These rules will facilitate faster and easier deployment of telegraph infrastructure for enabling speedy 5G roll-out.
These amended rules incorporate provisions for the usage of street furniture for the installation of small cells and telegraph lines.
Fees and charges for seeking RoW permissions by the Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) and Infrastructure Providers(IP) have also been rationalized to bring uniformity across the country.
Gati Shakti Sanchar Portal: It will enable applicants from Telecom Services Providers (TSPs), Internet Services Providers (ISPs) to apply for Right of Way(RoW) approvals for laying Optical Fiber Cables(OFC) and erecting Telecom infrastructures like Towers to submit their applications to various agencies of State/UT Governments and local bodies.
Comprehensive Telecom Development Plan (CTDP) for the North-Eastern Region: Under this scheme, Mobile connectivity on 2G is to be provided by setting up 2004 towers in the uncovered villages and along National Highways of the North-East region.
Submarine OFC connectivity between Kochi and Lakshadweep Islands (1869 km)
Telecom Technology Development Fund(TTDF) Scheme
Network Readiness Index 2022: India jumped 6 ranks, from 67 in 2021 to 61 in 2022 in the NRI-2022. The NRI score for India also improved from 49.74 in 2021 to 51.19 in 2022.
Draft Indian Telecommunication Bill, 2022
Launch of Satellite Broadband Services
Cyber Security through Telecom Security Operation Centre (TSOC): Department of Telecommunications has approved a scheme for the installation of Telecom Security Operation Centre(TSOC) with the objective to predict and identify attacks on national telecommunications infrastructure.
– TSOC is used for identifying the cyber-attacks on telecommunications networks and the machines which are initiating such attacks or under attack.It is used for identifying the presence of blocked applications, malicious communications provided by some applications, etc.
– It is also the main source for providing inputs to Telecom Computer Security Incident Response Team(Telecom-CSIRT), a framework established by the Department of Telecommunications to protect the national telecom infrastructure.
Telecom Analytics for Fraud management and Consumer Protection(TAF-COP) portal: It has been developed to help subscribers, check the number of mobile connections working in their name, and take necessary action for regularizing their additional mobile connections if any.
