DoT set to notify uniform network rollout policy

The Department of Telecom has firmed up uniform rules for rolling out telecom networks across the country and will notify them by tomorrow.
"We have finalised Right of Way guidelines. It will be notified either today or tomorrow," Telecom Secretary JS Deepak said at Broadband India Forum.
The proposed policy aims to facilitate expeditious roll out of telecom infrastructure so as to help improve quality of service, reduce call drops as well as cost of setting up networks.
In the draft framework, the DoT has proposed that authorities involved in granting RoW permit will have to grant permission within 60 days of application. In case of rejection of the application, they should record reasons in writing.

Telecom companies often blame local authorities in the states for creating unnecessary hurdles in roll-out of telecom infrastructure, specially in granting RoW permission.
Most of the complaints have been made regarding abnormally high price for RoW as well as different levies or fee imposed by various authorities other than charges prescribed under telecom licences. In some cases, the charges have been as high as Rs 7 crore per kilometre for laying underground cables.

DoT has also proposed that authorities concerned should not impose any fee, charge, lease rental, licence fee other than the expense that they incur as consequence of the proposed work.

Deepak said the government is looking at reforms in spectrum allocation part.
"In area of spectrum, substantive measures have been taken. Most important reform in last one year was harmonisation of spectrum. It has been fragmented since the time we started wireless telephony. Harmonisation is going to show up in form of better quality of service for consumers," Deepak said.
He said that after last auction average spectrum holding per telecom operator has gone up by 10 Megahertz.
"We are now looking to effectively utilise higher frequency band starting 2100 Mhz onward to V band (57-64 Gigahertz band)," Deepak said.

He said the government is doing away with some of the licensing requirement for ease of doing business in the country.