Indian regulatory authority publishes a consultation paper on digital inclusion

The paper addresses the uneven adoption of new technologies and explores how they can bridge the digital divide, also by reviewing the existing initiatives by the Indian government and state governments.

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The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has published a consultation paper on digital inclusion in the era of emerging technologies. The purpose of this consultation is to address the unequal adoption of new technologies across different sections of Indian society and explore how emerging technologies can bridge this digital divide. TRAI also aims to review the effectiveness of existing initiatives by the Indian government and state governments to promote digital inclusion.

While the consultation paper does not provide a clear definition of ’emerging technologies,’ it mentions various Indian technology initiatives that can be considered as examples. These initiatives include the Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), and Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) gateway, which have empowered Indian citizens and increased internet and digital technology usage. The paper also highlights the G20 Declaration that emphasizes the use of AI for the public good, suggesting that TRAI considers it an emerging technology for digital inclusion.

The consultation paper briefly mentions other technologies that fall under the category of emerging technologies. These include Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality, machine-to-machine (M2M) robotics, cloud computing, the internet of things, and 5G technology. Although the paper does not detail these technologies, their mention indicates their relevance in shaping India’s digital landscape and promoting inclusivity.

Why does it matter?

Stakeholders have until December 15th, 2023, to provide comments on the paper, with counter comments due by December 29th, 2023. The lack of a clear definition of emerging technologies in the consultation paper has raised some concerns. Despite this, the focus on the impact of Digital Public Infrastructure, Direct Benefit Transfer, and other initiatives suggests that TRAI aims to bridge the digital divide and enhance digital inclusion in India.