New Delhi, February 27 The telecom regulator, TRAI, has issued a consultation paper aimed at providing additional clarity and refinement around the digital connectivity rating framework, including expanding the scale from five to nine rating levels by introducing half-star levels.
Overall, the tweaks and refinements are aimed at improving transparency for consumers, addressing practical issues faced by Property Managers and Digital Connectivity Rating Agencies (DCRAs) during implementation, and ensuring that the framework remains aligned with on-ground realities, without altering its core intent, principles, or assessment methodology.
"It has been observed that the existing five-star rating needs improvements to sufficiently differentiate between properties with materially different levels of digital connectivity performance, particularly where scores lie close to the threshold values," TRAI said.
Accordingly, in the consultation paper, it has been proposed to refine the rating scale by introducing additional half-star levels, expanding the scale from five to nine rating levels.
"The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released a Consultation Paper on 'Review of Rating of Properties for Digital Connectivity Regulations, 2024 (7 of 2024)' today," the regulator said in a release.
TRAI noted that a large proportion of properties are marketed and sold during the construction phase, while the existing framework provides for the award of ratings only after the completion of Digital Connectivity Infrastructure (DCI) and on-ground assessment under due diligence.
"To address this gap, it has been proposed in the consultation paper to supplement the existing rating process by introducing a design-stage assessment and certification mechanism for under-construction properties. The final Digital Connectivity Rating shall continue to be awarded only after completion of construction and Due Diligence Stage-II, thereby preserving assessment integrity," TRAI said.
Further, stakeholders indicated that some Property Managers may prefer to assess the present level of Digital Connectivity Infrastructure (DCI) in their properties and undertake improvements before applying for a formal rating, particularly since awarded ratings become publicly visible.
TRAI is proposing to enable an Optional Digital Connectivity Audit mechanism, whereby Property Managers may engage a registered DCRA to undertake a digital connectivity audit against the prescribed criteria and sub-criteria for evaluation and improvement purposes.
TRAI's focus on the issue comes at a time when digital connectivity has become a critical enabler of modern living and economic activity, and rapid digitalization has transformed governance, education, healthcare, commerce, innovation, and social interaction.
Studies and industry reports indicate that a significant proportion of data consumption occurs inside buildings—a trend is particularly pronounced with the deployment of advanced mobile technologies such as 4G and 5G, which operate on higher frequency bands to deliver high data rates but are more susceptible to signal attenuation due to walls, building materials, and construction design.
TRAI emphasised that in-building digital connectivity has become a critical determinant of User Experience and Quality of Service (QoS).
To address challenges of quality of service inside buildings or properties in a structured manner, TRAI had notified the 'Rating of Properties for Digital Connectivity Regulations, 2024 (07 of 2024)' in October 2024, for rating of properties based on their digital connectivity readiness.
The framework aims to promote collaboration among Property Managers, Digital Connectivity Rating Agencies (DCRAs), Service providers, and other stakeholders, while ensuring transparency, accountability, and self-sustainability, the regulator observed.
To operationalize the Regulations, TRAI issued the Rating Manual on August 13, 2025. The rating manual provides the operational backbone of the Digital Connectivity Rating framework, laying down the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders, rating methodology and assessment stages, criteria and sub-criteria for rating including their scoring approach, and detailed procedures for application, evaluation, certification, renewal, and appeals.
"Based on stakeholder inputs received during awareness and presentation sessions for early implementation of the Digital Connectivity Rating framework, it has been observed that while the Regulations provide a sound and comprehensive framework, however, few areas required review to provide additional clarity and refinement," TRAI said while bringing out the consultation paper and seeking stakeholder comments by March 23, 2026.