COAI for mandatory nod to telcos for in-building infrastructure

COAI felt the permission to install telecom infrastructure should be granted to telecom operators only

The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has pitched for a “mandatory” and “non-discriminatory” grant of permission to all operators for deployment of in-building telecom infrastructure in public buildings, including airports and government offices.

According to COAI, such permissions should be granted on a non-discriminatory basis to all telecom operators by the respective builder or a government agency.

These suggestions are a part of COAI’s response to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai)’s consultation paper dealing with the issue of ‘in-Building access by telecom service providers’.

Since consumers spend a lot of time indoors, the Trai paper had emphasised the need to have quality telecom services inside buildings through deployment of in-building solutions.

COAI noted that obtaining permission for setting up sites in commercial and public buildings became difficult at times, and that deployment was often hindered by owners and developers delaying the negotiations.

Often operators are forced to enter into agreements at unilateral and exorbitant terms set by the other parties.

COAI has said that a single online window should be created for necessary approvals for public buildings ( government-owned or public-private partnership model) such as airports, railway stations, government offices, government residential complexes and hospitals. COAI felt the permission to install telecom infrastructure should be granted to only telecom operators.

It said that denial of permission by building owners, lack of clear framework and fear of electromagnetic field acted as hurdles in installation of solutions by telcos.

New buildings, at the time of construction should be made ‘telecom infrastructure deployment’ ready by creation of one-time infrastructure such as ducts, common area for telecom facilities and network access points, and the same should be mandated in the building code itself, it said.

The operators, under the aegis of COAI, said they should be given “legal rights” to use the common telecom infrastructure within a building free of charge just as other essential services like water and electricity.

New and under-renovation buildings should be granted completion certificate only after they comply with such common telecom infrastructure provisions, it added.

COAI said given the need to have quality mobile coverage and network presence inside residential and commercial complexes, sharing of infrastructure should be encouraged among telecom operators.