iWorld
Trai seeks views on Big Data & AI adoption to improve telecom services in future
Mumbai: The 5G spectrum auction that happened recently is a big step towards the launch of new internet and telecom experience in India. 5G will take India’s telecom services to the next level and bring it at par with countries like China, the US, and South Korea.
A step towards fueling future innovation, the government is now trying to leverage & integrate artificial intelligence (AI) and big data (BD) in the telecommunication sector as both are inherently synergistic. To make this possible, The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has released a consultation paper on “Leveraging AI and BD in the telecommunication sector.” The regulatory body has asked its stakeholders to submit any consent and issues regarding the consultation paper by 16 September & 30 September will be the last date for counter comments.
5G would bring advancement in the media & entertainment industry as the consumers soon be able to access faster internet speed and services. It will enable faster download speeds, lower latency (the response time to transfer computer information), greater flexibility and ability to support more devices.
Through the 5G auction, a total of 51.2 GHz spectrum was sold and 71 percent of total spectrum was put up for sale. It helped the government to earn a record Rs 1.5 lakh crore recently.
Further, the telecom regulator, in its consultation paper, sought opinions on areas where the telecom networks’ present and future capabilities could be used to leverage AI and BD. The paper also presented examples of AI and BD already deployed in telecom networks by the operators in India & other jurisdictions.
Leveraging AI and BD in 6G era
The regulator also looked at developments happening in the 6G and possibilities emerging in the 6G era to leverage AI and BD in the telecom sector as well as other sectors where telecom can play an important and crucial role.
The consultation paper followed the department of telecom’s referral to Trai in June 2019, in which the department requested a recommendation on leveraging AI and BD in a synchronised and effective manner to improve the overall quality of service, spectrum management, network security, and reliability.
The paper stated, “It has been noted that 5G and beyond networks will provide a plethora of data that may be useful for telecom as well as other sectors. Edge computing in the 5G era may offer opportunities to other sectors to train and validate their AI models in the telecom networks.”
“In 5G and beyond, networks may also offer privacy-preserving architectures to adopt and accelerate AI and BD in other sectors,” the paper added.
The paper covered risks associated with the adoption of AI and BD, such as unethical use, bias in data and algorithms, model instability, regulatory and legal noncompliance, and risk mitigation methods and mechanisms. Further, there is a risk of privacy among users, which includes data exploitation, the risk of identification and tracking, and individual profiling.
It also further stated, “If privacy concerns are not addressed and trust is not instilled among the users, then it may become one of the biggest concerns in the adoption of AI.”
The paper’s focus was on privacy concerns and their impact on developing intelligent solutions. The paper identified and presented various solutions and initiatives that may be taken to address the risks and concerns. It also suggested ways to overcome these constraints for faster adoption of AI.
Trai mentioned in its paper that they also noted the latest developments in the field of AI, which may be useful in multi-domain, multi-vendor, and multi-AI model environments.
iWorld
JioHotstar to launch micro dramas during IPL
Streaming giant plans free, ad-supported bite-sized stories during IPL to engage mobile-first audiences
JioHotstar is gearing up to launch a wave of micro dramas, eyeing India’s fast-growing appetite for bite-sized storytelling and new revenue opportunities. According to sources close to the matter, the streaming platform is expected to go live with the content during the Indian Premier League, which runs from 28 March to 31 May.
The move comes as the micro-drama market in India surges, with Redseer Strategy Consultants projecting the overall interactive media segment could reach $3.1–3.4 billion by FY2030, with micro dramas leading the growth. The format has already proven commercially viable abroad — China’s micro-drama sector generated $360 million in 2023, up 267 per cent year-on-year.
Micro dramas are designed for rapid consumption on mobile devices. Episodes typically run 60–90 seconds, shot in vertical 9:16 format, and rely on fast-paced plots and cliffhangers to keep viewers glued. Stories tend to revolve around high-stakes drama, from romance and revenge to corporate intrigue, blending social-media immediacy with professional production values.
Sources said the IPL provides the perfect launchpad, with millions tuning in to the platform for live cricket, creating a ready audience for short-form narrative experiments. The content will initially be free and accessible to all.
JioHotstar, which already boasts over 300 million subscribers, plans to roll out more than 100 micro dramas across multiple genres and languages, including Hindi and South Indian languages. The move is expected to strengthen its regional content strategy and appeal to mobile-first viewers, particularly in metro and Tier-1 cities where the format is currently most popular.
“The timing is perfect,” said a source close to the project, requesting anonymity. “With micro dramas on the rise, this is a chance for JioHotstar to experiment with new formats and engage audiences in a way traditional series cannot.”
The platform is not the first in India to test the format. ALTBalaji, StoryTV and Zee Bullet have all dabbled in short episodic storytelling. But JioHotstar’s scale — and its ability to pair content with one of the country’s biggest sporting events — could make it a defining moment for micro dramas in India.
With mobile consumption and vernacular content on the rise, the gamble seems clear: capture attention fast, keep it longer, and turn bite-sized narratives into a robust revenue engine.
Note: The cover image used is AI-generated.
