Regulators
TRAI hosts ‘Responsible AI in Telecom’ session at India AI Summit
Chair Anil Kumar Lahoti stresses trust and guardrails as AI integrates into networks on 20 Feb 2026.
MUMBAI: AI in telecom isn’t just calling the shots anymore, it’s running the whole network show, and TRAI wants to make sure the director stays human. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) convened a dedicated session on “Responsible AI in Telecom” at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, held on 20 February at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in New Delhi. The gathering drew senior executives from telecom operators, global tech giants like Ericsson, Qualcomm, and Nokia, industry bodies such as GSMA, government arms including DoT and C-DOT, plus international stakeholders for frank talks on weaving AI responsibly into networks and customer-facing services.
TRAI chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti kicked off proceedings with a clear message, “Artificial Intelligence is no longer a peripheral technology for telecom, it is becoming integral to how networks are designed, managed and experienced.” He stressed that as AI influences decisions at population scale, optimising 5G performance, predicting faults, slashing energy use, boosting customer experience, and cracking down on spam trust must be the cornerstone. Efficiency gains, he said, need transparency, accountability, human oversight, and firm guardrails to guarantee fairness, unbiased results, resilience, security, and public good.
Lahoti highlighted telecom’s role as India’s AI backbone, given the massive subscriber base, making AI-driven automation essential. He pointed to ongoing work like strengthened spam enforcement, AI filtering, and digital consent frameworks for verifiable commercial messaging. TRAI’s approach remains risk-based, favouring regulatory sandboxes to foster innovation while protecting consumers.
Two punchy panel discussions followed. “Preparing Telecom Networks for AI Era,” chaired by TRAI Member Ritu Ranjan Mittar, featured Ericsson CTO Magnus Ewerbring, Qualcomm VP Vinesh Sukumar, Nokia SVP Pasi Toivanen, and Tejas Sr VP Shantigram Jagannath. They unpacked AI adoption in networks, transparency in explainable systems, responsibility-by-design, environmental sustainability, security, and AI-native architectures reshaping 5G management.
The second panel, “Building Customer Trust through AI-driven Operations,” led by TRAI Member Dr M P Tangirala, included GSMA APAC head Julian Gorman, C-DOT CEO Rajkumar Upadhyay, Vodafone India CTSO Mathan Babu Kasilingam, and DoT TEC Sr DDG Syed Tausif Abbas. Topics ranged from accountability in automated decisions, transparency in customer engagement, ethical frameworks for spam prevention, and standards for an AI incident database especially vital for critical infrastructure plus responsible scaling in 5G/6G for fraud detection and analytics.
The session wrapped as a timely reminder, AI can supercharge telecom, but only if trust, collaboration between regulators, industry, and tech players, and balanced governance keep pace. In a country where networks touch billions daily, getting this right isn’t optional, it’s the line between seamless connectivity and digital chaos.
Regulators
India eyes digital leap with major public Wi-Fi expansion plan
TRAI seeks to bridge the digital divide by boosting high-speed hotspots nationwide
NEW DELHI: India is gearing up for a significant digital makeover as the nation’s telecoms watchdog unveils an ambitious roadmap to blanket the country in high-speed Public Wi-Fi. In a comprehensive consultation paper released on 27th April 2026, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has signalled that it is time to turn the “missing link” of connectivity into a robust bridge for the digital economy.
The initiative aims to solve a persistent puzzle: while India boasts some of the world’s lowest mobile data tariffs, network congestion in crowded cities and patchy coverage in rural heartlands continue to hamper the “Digital India” dream. By shifting heavy data traffic from mobile networks to high-capacity Public Wi-Fi, officials hope to offer a smoother, more reliable experience for everything from remote work to telemedicine.
The proposal suggests that high-quality broadband is the essential engine behind secure, real-time digital interactions between the Government and its citizens. By treating Public Wi-Fi as a vital utility, much like water or electricity, the nation aims to support the next generation of technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality.
The paper highlights that despite the 2020 launch of the PM-WANI framework, which allowed small shopkeepers to become “Public Data Offices” (PDOs), the country has yet to hit its target of 10 million hotspots. To fix this, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India is looking at international success stories. From South Korea’s government-led model to the market-driven approach of the United Kingdom, India is searching for the perfect blend of public support and private enterprise.
One of the key hurdles identified is the trust deficit. Many users perceive Public Wi-Fi as a security risk, but the report argues that with modern encryption like WPA3 and secure login methods, these networks can be just as safe as private ones. The new plan explores advanced authentication methods to make connecting as simple as a single tap while ensuring robust data protection.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India is also urging local municipal bodies to play a bigger part by allowing Wi-Fi equipment on street furniture like lamp posts and bus stops. With the digital economy projected to contribute nearly 20 per cent of India’s Gross Value Added by 2030, the push for ubiquitous Wi-Fi is seen as a vital investment in the nation’s future.
As the consultation period opens, the message from New Delhi is clear: the future of India’s internet is not just mobile, it is shared, scalable, and most importantly, everywhere. Stakeholders have until 25th May 2026 to share their views on how to turn these wireless ambitions into a nationwide reality.
