The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has proposed a new category of wholesale player called the access network provider which will sell its services to the mobile virtual network operator which in turn will offer value added services to the final customer.

The Trai proposal focuses on the role of the access network provider as well as its relationship with the mobile virtual network operator, with one of the objectives being to create a wide variety of 5G services for the end-user.

The implementation of these recommendations is expected to result in increased sharing of network resources, reduction of cost, higher investment and could also prove to be a catalyst in the proliferation of 5G services, Trai said in a statement.

“A separate authorisation under unified licence should be created for access network provider (network layer) to provide network services on a wholesale basis,” Trai said.

Under this new authorisation, the access network provider would not be permitted to directly provide services to the end customers.

The scope of the access network provider would be to establish and maintain telecom network, including wireless and wireline infrastructure, and selling the network services (capable of carrying voice and non-voice messages and data) on a wholesale basis to the virtual network operators or service delivery operators for retailing purpose.

The access network provider should also be permitted to provide/share its network resources to/with the telecom service providers.

Like the existing telecom players, the access network provider should also be permitted to acquire spectrum through auctions, subjected to the prescribed caps, enter into spectrum trading and sharing arrangements with the other players.

It should also have access to backhaul spectrum, numbering resources and right to interconnection, Trai said.

The existing licensing regime of “Unified Licence” shall continue. However, if a licensee with access service authorisation under UL wishes to migrate to segregated network layer and service layer regime, it should be permitted to do so.

Trai said the network provider shall be permitted to take a separate licence to operate as a virtual network operator.