Change building code to allow ‘digital connectivity infrastructure’, says TRAI

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The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) issued recommendations on Monday to authorities to treat “digital connectivity infrastructure” inside buildings on par with utilities such as electricity and water supply.

The regulator recommended that “Model Building Bye-Laws (MBBL) and National Building Code of India (NBC) should be amended to incorporate necessary provisions on Digital Connectivity Infrastructure (DCI).”

Building development plans should incorporate such infrastructure, such as ducts for fiber optic cables, in the initial stages of construction itself. The TRAI said that buyer-builder agreements under the jurisdiction of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 should specify the requirements for DCI.

“A separate chapter should be included in MBBL on comprehensive framework for development of DCI,” the TRAI said, adding that the Bureau of Indian Standards should review DCI standards for buildings. The Telecommunication Engineering Centre  should also play a role in certifying DCI equipment.

Existing government buildings should be upgraded to have “state-of-the-art digital connectivity,” “Council of DCI should be established under the Department of Telecommunications,” it said. A system for rating buildings for digital connectivity should be established, and States with rural and remote buildings can come up with their own norms suited to their needs, the TRAI said.