The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has said that data center companies should also get their equipment from trusted sources like telecom operators. For the unaware, govt of India had implemented a strict rule on the telecom companies that they can only purchase or acquire the equipment for mobile networks from trusted sources. The trusted sources are companies that the govt identifies as safe to be included in the Indian infrastructure. None of the Chinese corporations is included in the trusted sources of the government. Now, it looks like data center companies would also have to follow the same rule. According to a PTI report, TRAI, under its recommendations for the “Regulatory Framework for Promoting Data Economy Through Establishment of Data Centers, Content Delivery Networks, and Interconnect Exchanges in India”, has suggested major companies register with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). It might happen very soon that Data Center companies will also have to source equipment from trusted sources only. The National Cyber Security Coordinator is the designated body by the govt to look after the sources as trusted or not. In addition, the regulatory body has said that the government should define certain fiscal and non-fiscal incentives for the data center sector. These incentives should be applicable to all the states while giving the states further flexibility to announce additional incentives. TRAI has recommended that CDN (Content Delivery Network) players register with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) via a simple online process.
