By Shailesh Yadav
New Delhi [India], January 12 : The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is spearheading a major overhaul of the nation's television audience measurement and telecommunication safety systems to address growing concerns over the reliability of the current monopolistic system.
In an exclusive interview with ANI, TRAI Chairperson Anil Kumar Lahoti announced that the regulator is advocating a shift to a competitive, multi-agency model to improve transparency and accuracy in TV ratings, moving away from its single-agency model for TV audience measurement.
"Presently, the TV audience rating measurement is being done by only a single agency. During our consultations, various stakeholders have pointed out concerns about the reliability and credibility of this audience rating measurement system," Lahoti said.
The TRAI chief highlighted that the current monopolistic system, managed by a single agency, has faced mounting criticism for its credibility. To address this, TRAI has formally recommended that the government move away from the single-agency model.
The TRAI chief noted that the agency's total sample size is limited to 50,000 households. He also pointed out that connected TVs are not being measured, leaving a crucial segment of modern viewership unaccounted for.
"There are several issues which need to be addressed. The government has already taken steps regarding the reform of the audience measurement system, and I think with that this should improve," Lahoti added.
Addressing the telecom industry's embrace of emerging technologies, Lahoti praised service providers for their proactive use of artificial intelligence. He noted that AI is being widely deployed for spam detection, with all three private-sector service providers now flagging suspected spam calls to alert consumers.
"This warns the consumer if it is a spam call, and then they can make an informed decision whether to receive the call or not," he explained. The technology is also used to detect millions of fraudulent URLs transmitted via SMS and to enhance network management, improving the overall consumer experience.
Lahoti also outlined key reforms introduced through amendments to the Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations (TCCCPR) in February 2024. The changes make it easier for consumers to report unsolicited commercial communication, even if they haven't registered on the Do Not Disturb (DND) platform. Additionally, spam from unregistered telemarketers can now be reported, a capability previously unavailable.
The TRAI chief announced that an improved version of the DND app will be launched within a month, making it more user-friendly and effective. "Reporting spam is very necessary because this is the important way by which the system comes to know of a spammer, and if you report a spam on the DND app, action gets taken," he emphasised.