Hindi English Translation || Editorial || The right price: on TRAI’s latest recommendations

The right price: on TRAI’s latest recommendations

TRAI might need to revisit (फिर से आना) its recommendations to ensure the viability (व्यवहार्यता, क्षमता) of telcos

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (भारतीय दूरसंचार नियामक प्राधिकरण) latest recommendations on the auction (नीलामी) of airwaves (spectrum) identified for 5G services, particularly the pricing of spectrum, have triggered (cause, produce, bring about, prompt) disappointment within the industry. While TRAI has proposed cuts (कटौती, कमी) of about 35-40% on the reserve prices at which the relevant frequency bands of spectrum could be auctioned (sell (at an auction)), telecom services providers contend (संघर्ष करना, दावा, बहस) that the recommendations run counter to (to have an opposite effect) the spirit (real meaning, true meaning, true intention, essence, substance) behind the relief-cum-reforms package unveiled (launch, introduce, release, present, make public) by the Government last September. In acknowledging (स्वीकार करना, पहचानना, महसूस करना) the extent (क्षेत्र, आकार) of stress (तनाव, चिंता, घबराहट) as well as the ripple effects (an event (or a process/action) that causes several other events to happen indirectly one after the other; secondary/indirect effect, consequence/implication, chain of events) that protracted (लंबा, निरंतर, अंतहीन) distress (संकट, परेशानी, चिंता) in the industry would have on the economy, the Union Cabinet had at the time decided among other measures (उपाय, क्रिया, कदम) to increase the tenure (कार्यकाल, अवधि, समय) of spectrum assignment (activity, task, piece of work) to 30 years, from 20 years. The regulator (an association/statutory body that supervises a particular business activity), however, has proposed charging 1.5 times the reduced reserve price (आरक्षित मूल्य) for a 30-year tenure on spectrum thereby (उसके कारण, उसके परिणामस्वरूप) virtually (practically, almost, nearly) negating (invalidate, nullify, cancel, deny, reject) the proposed cut and undermining (weaken, subvert, sabotage, damage) the Government’s aim of making spectrum affordable enough to encourage greater participation (engagement, taking part, involvement) in the auctions. Ironically (paradoxically, unexpectedly, strangely), TRAI’s recommendations cite (refer to, make reference to, mention, allude to, adduce, point to) a November letter from the DoT which had underscored (underline, emphasize, accentuate) the fact that only 37% of the spectrum on offer (available) at the last auction had been sold, showing that the regulator was conscious (aware of, alert to, sensitive to, cognizant of, mindful of, sensible of) of the need to further rationalise (streamline, make more efficient, hone, simplify, reorganize) the reserve price. TRAI’s reasoning (thinking, idea, opinion) for the reserve prices, an elaborate consultative (advisory, recommendatory, consulting, counseling) process notwithstanding (nevertheless, nonetheless, even so, in spite of that), appear steeped in (fill with, permeate with, pervade with, imbue with, infuse with)  a conservative (cautious, understated, unexaggerated, moderate, reasonable) approach that discounts (disregard, pay no attention to, ignore/overlook; reduce, lower, lessen) the challenges the industry is currently facing as well as the significant capital investments needed to modernise the country’s telecom networks.

A look at some of the countries that have so far successfully rolled out (official launch/introduction) 5G networks shows that Japan and South Korea avoided auctions and instead adopted the discretionary (optional, voluntary, up to the individual, non-mandatory, non-compulsory) approach to spectrum allotment. True, this approach was abandoned by India after the Supreme Court in 2012 struck down the grant (allocation, allotment, issuance) of 2G licences and mandated (instruct, direct, order, require, make something mandatory) auctions as the best method to obviate (avoid, prevent, remove (a problem/the need of something or make it unnecessary)) malfeasance (wrongdoing, misconduct, duplicity, untruthfulness (particularly by a public official)) in the exercise of discretionary powers (it means the authority, which provides an administrative agency or official with some degree of latitude (freedom) in regard to choosing the most reasonable decision among several decisions in compliance with public and private interests). Still, an auction would ensure that the resource being offered is actually bid (make an offer) for and utilised only if the price is viable (reasonable, practical, logical, sensible, effective) for the industry. India’s telcos point to (indicate, suggest, signal, signify, denote, reveal) the fact that even today their ability to invest in the infrastructure (the basic physical or organisational structure or framework that a country or organization needs in order to function properly. For a whole nation, it includes all the physical systems such as buildings, roads & railways networks, utilities, etc) required to cover the length and breadth of (every part of a large place/area; all over, throughout, everywhere) the country and simultaneously ensure optimum (optimal, best, most favourable, most advantageous, most appropriate, ideal, perfect) reach  and availability of signals in dense urban areas is somewhat constrained (restrict, limit, restrain) by the high cost of spectrum relative (comparative, respective, comparable, correlative, parallel, corresponding, reciprocal) to the global average as well as one of the lowest realisations (actualization, fulfilment, achievement, accomplishment, attainment, bringing to fruition, consummation, effecting) in terms of (with regard to, regarding, concerning, in respect of, with reference to) average revenue per user. For the Government to realise its goal of netting optimum revenue from the auction of spectrum even as it ensures that India does not end up (finish up, turn up, come/appear, find oneself (to a particular course of action in the end)) lagging behind in the rollout (official launch/introduction) of 5G telecom services, policymakers need to insist TRAI revisit its recommendations. The economy can ill afford any further disruptions (disturbance, interruption, obstruction) in the linchpin (mainstay, backbone, central component) sector.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) (noun)

Hindi Meaning - भारतीय दूरसंचार नियामक प्राधिकरण
English Meaning - a statutory body set up by the Government of India under section 3 of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997. It is the regulator of the telecommunications sector in India.

2.revisit (verb)

Hindi Meaning - फिर से आना
English Meaning - consider something again; review something from a different point of view; reconsider, review.

3.viability (noun)

Hindi Meaning - व्यवहार्यता, क्षमता
English Meaning - ability, practicality, feasibility (to work successfully).

4.auction (noun)

Hindi Meaning - नीलामी
English Meaning - the process of determining the selling/buying price of something through a competitive bidding process; bidding.

5.cut (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कटौती, कमी
English Meaning - reduction, decrease.

6.contend (verb)

Hindi Meaning - संघर्ष करना, दावा, बहस
English Meaning - claim, argue, profess, affirm, state.

7.acknowledge (verb)

Hindi Meaning - स्वीकार करना, पहचानना, महसूस करना
English Meaning - accept, recognize, realize.

8.extent (noun)

Hindi Meaning - क्षेत्र, आकार
English Meaning - magnitude; degree, scale, level.

9.stress (noun)

Hindi Meaning - तनाव, चिंता, घबराहट
English Meaning - anxiety, tension, nervousness, strain.

10.protracted (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - लंबा, निरंतर, अंतहीन
English Meaning - prolonged, extended, sustained, long-drawn-out, lengthened, never-ending, endless, lingering.

11.distress (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संकट, परेशानी, चिंता
English Meaning - trouble, worry, anxiety, anguish, affliction, misery, despair.

12.measure (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उपाय, क्रिया, कदम
English Meaning - action, step, procedure.

13.tenure (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कार्यकाल, अवधि, समय
English Meaning - term, time, period.

14.reserve price (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आरक्षित मूल्य
English Meaning - the minimum price at which the seller of an item is ready to sell its item in an auction, below which he is not obliged to accept the deal.

15.thereby (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - उसके कारण, उसके परिणामस्वरूप
English Meaning - as a result of that.

16.telco (noun)

English Meaning - Telephone company, a provider of telecommunications services.

17.airwaves (noun)

English Meaning - spectrum.

18.spectrum (noun)

English Meaning - airwaves; invisible radio frequencies; it refers to a range of electromagnetic (radio) waves that are used for communication purposes (to transmit signals over specific bands). Scientists measure frequencies using hertz, meaning the number of wave cycles per second. Satellites generally transmit on a frequency between 1.5 and 51.5 gigahertz (a gigahertz, or GHz, equals one billion hertz). High-speed broadband operates at the higher end of the spectrum.

19.trigger (verb)

English Meaning - cause, produce, bring about, prompt.

20.auction (verb)

English Meaning - sell (at an auction).

21.run counter to (phrase)

English Meaning - to have an opposite effect.

22.spirit (noun)

English Meaning - real meaning, true meaning, true intention, essence, substance.

23.unveil (verb)

English Meaning - launch, introduce, release, present, make public.

24.ripple effect/domino effect/knock-on effect (noun)

English Meaning - an event (or a process/action) that causes several other events to happen indirectly one after the other; secondary/indirect effect, consequence/implication, chain of events.

25.assignment (noun)

English Meaning - activity, task, piece of work.

26.regulator (noun)

English Meaning - an association/statutory body that supervises a particular business activity.

27.virtually (adverb)

English Meaning - practically, almost, nearly.

28.negate (verb)

English Meaning - invalidate, nullify, cancel, deny, reject.

29.undermine (verb)

English Meaning - weaken, subvert, sabotage, damage.

30.participation (noun)

English Meaning - engagement, taking part, involvement.

31.ironically (adverb)

English Meaning - paradoxically, unexpectedly, strangely.

32.cite (verb)

English Meaning - refer to, make reference to, mention, allude to, adduce, point to.

33.The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) (noun)

English Meaning - The Department of Telecommunication (DoT) works under the aegis (support & guidance) of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. The Department of Telecom has been formulating developmental policies for the accelerated growth of the telecommunication services.

34.underscore (verb)

English Meaning - underline, emphasize, accentuate.

35.on offer (phrase)

English Meaning - available.

36.conscious (adjective)

English Meaning - aware of, alert to, sensitive to, cognizant of, mindful of, sensible of.

37.rationalise (verb)

English Meaning - streamline, make more efficient, hone, simplify, reorganize.

38.reasoning (noun)

English Meaning - thinking, idea, opinion.

39.consultative (adjective)

English Meaning - advisory, recommendatory, consulting, counseling.

40.notwithstanding (adverb)

English Meaning - nevertheless, nonetheless, even so, in spite of that.

41.steep in (verb)

English Meaning - fill with, permeate with, pervade with, imbue with, infuse with.

42.conservative (adjective)

English Meaning - cautious, understated, unexaggerated, moderate, reasonable.

43.discount (verb)

English Meaning - disregard, pay no attention to, ignore/overlook; reduce, lower, lessen.

44.roll-out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - official launch/introduction.

45.discretionary (adjective)

English Meaning - optional, voluntary, up to the individual, non-mandatory, non-compulsory.

46.strike down (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - abolish, annul, nullify (a law or regulation).

47.grant (noun)

English Meaning - allocation, allotment, issuance.

48.mandate (verb)

English Meaning - instruct, direct, order, require, make something mandatory.

49.obviate (verb)

English Meaning - avoid, prevent, remove (a problem/the need of something or make it unnecessary).

50.malfeasance (noun)

English Meaning - wrongdoing, misconduct, duplicity, untruthfulness (particularly by a public official).

51.discretionary power (noun)

English Meaning - it means the authority, which provides an administrative agency or official with some degree of latitude (freedom) in regard to choosing the most reasonable decision among several decisions in compliance with public and private interests.

52.bid (verb)

English Meaning - make an offer.

53.viable (adjective)

English Meaning - reasonable, practical, logical, sensible, effective.

54.point to (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - indicate, suggest, signal, signify, denote, reveal.

55.infrastructure (noun)

English Meaning - the basic physical or organisational structure or framework that a country or organization needs in order to function properly. For a whole nation, it includes all the physical systems such as buildings, roads & railways networks, utilities, etc.

56.the length and breadth of (phrase)

English Meaning - every part of a large place/area; all over, throughout, everywhere.

57.optimum (adjective)

English Meaning - optimal, best, most favourable, most advantageous, most appropriate, ideal, perfect.

58.reach (noun)

English Meaning - range.

59.constrain (verb)

English Meaning - restrict, limit, restrain.

60.relative (adjective)

English Meaning - comparative, respective, comparable, correlative, parallel, corresponding, reciprocal.

61.realisation (noun)

English Meaning - actualization, fulfilment, achievement, accomplishment, attainment, bringing to fruition, consummation, effecting.

62.in terms of (phrase)

English Meaning - with regard to, regarding, concerning, in respect of, with reference to.

63.net (verb)

English Meaning - earn, make, get, gain, obtain, acquire, accumulate, take home, bring in, pocket, realize.

64.end up (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - finish up, turn up, come/appear, find oneself (to a particular course of action in the end).

65.lag behind (verb)

English Meaning - trail, straggle, fall behind, move slowly.

66.rollout (noun)

English Meaning - official launch/introduction.

67.cannot afford/can ill afford (phrase)

English Meaning - if you cannot afford to do something, you must prevent it from happening because it would be embarrassing and cause problems (if it happens).

68.disruption (noun)

English Meaning - disturbance, interruption, obstruction.

69.linchpin (noun)

English Meaning - mainstay, backbone, central component.