TRAI’s Recommendations on ‘Assignment of Additional Spectrum to Indian Railways for its Safety and Security Applications’

· TRAI Responds to the DoT's Back-Reference dated 16.06.2025 on TRAI’s recommendations on ‘Assignment of Additional Spectrum to Indian Railways for its Safety and Security Applications’

[ABS News Service/05.07.2025]

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has sent its response to the Back-reference received from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in respect of the TRAI’s recommendations dated 20.12.2024 on ‘Assignment of Additional Spectrum to Indian Railways for its Safety and Security Applications’ to DoT on 4 July, 2025.

Earlier, DoT, through a reference dated 26.07.2023, informed TRAI that Indian Railways had requested for an additional 5 MHz of paired spectrum in the 700 MHz band to be allocated free of cost to them for enhancing its safety and security systems. Through the said reference dated 26.07.2023, DoT requested TRAI to examine and provide its recommendations on the subject. In this regard, after following a comprehensive consultation with stakeholders, TRAI, on 20.12.2024, sent its recommendations on ‘Assignment of Additional Spectrum to Indian Railways for its Safety and Security Applications’ to DoT.

Subsequently, DoT, through, a back-reference dated 16.06.2025, referred back some of the TRAI’s recommendations on ‘Assignment of Additional Spectrum to Indian Railways for its Safety and Security Applications’ and requested TRAI to provide its reconsidered recommendations in respect of such recommendations, in accordance with the provisions of Section 11 of the TRAI Act 1997.

In this regard, after a careful examination, TRAI has sent its response to the back-reference to DoT. TRAI’s response to the back-reference has also been placed on the TRAI’s website (www.trai.gov.in).

For any clarification or information, Akhilesh Kumar Trivedi, Advisor (Networks, Spectrum and Licensing), TRAI may be contacted at Telephone Number +91-11-20907758.