NEW DELHI — Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), the representative body of the Indian telecommunications industry, on Sept. 6 welcomed the recommendations of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to expedite the auction of available mid-band spectrum (3300MHz to 3600MHz) and allocation of spectrum in millimeter-wave (mmWave) range for IMT-2020.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India will assign backhaul spectrum on time to telecom operators that will strengthen 4G services and infrastructure and accelerate 5G implementation in India.
“TRAI’s (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) thrust on the resolution of RoW issues is much needed,” Cellular Operators Association of India said.
The recommendation for exemption of RoW (right of way) charges for the next five years (from the fiscal year 2022-23 to the fiscal year 2027-28) will significantly reduce the overall cost of roll-out for TSPs (telecom service provider).”
Cellular Operators Association of India said that the recommendation on the national RoW portal is a big step for the Indian telecommunication industry and said it will usher transparency in decision-making and boost the roll-out of services.
“With regard to restoration charge, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has recommended that the Central Government work out a uniform restoration change for open trench and pit with State Governments and UTs,” Cellular Operators Association of India said.
“We believe that this will ensure clarity on charges applied and also reduce the cost burden for TSPs.”
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has recommended implementing the dig once policy and informing before the dig.
“In this regard, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has recommended that to avoid frequent interruptions in services due to accidental damages of underground infrastructure, each utility provider should communicate its digging plans in an area to other utility providers operating in that area before submitting an application for RoW permission to the appropriate authority,” Cellular Operators Association of India said.
“This recommendation will help in addressing the issue of frequent fiber cuts and help the industry to save the cost of redeployment of fiber.”
“We welcome the recommendations by TRAI on a National RoW portal, exemption of RoW charges for next five years, auction of mid-band spectrum, allocation of mmWave range, and assigning of backhaul spectrum to TSPs,” Director-General of Cellular Operators Association of India, Lieutenant General S.P. Kochhar.
“These steps will go a long way in boosting India’s 4G services and infrastructure and in paving the way for the smooth roll-out of 5G services in India in the near future. We are confident that the suggestions provided by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India will be duly considered and implemented by the Central Government.”
Further, Kochhar said it is critical to ensure that the telecom industry remains financially strong.
“The financial health of the sector has to be safeguarded, and these recommendations from Telecom Regulatory Authority of India will boost the financial viability of the industry to meet the investment expectations,” Kochhar said.
“5G has the potential to become the future communication platform of choice for every industry like manufacturing, education, health, entertainment, real estate, etc.”
“The 5G, through its inherent strengths, will also enable the growth of new-age technologies like IoT, M2M, AI, AR, VR, and blockchains besides fixed wireless high-speed broadband networks. Therefore, we are thankful to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India for the recommendation and look forward to working with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India in scaling up the Digital Transformation in the country.”
(With inputs from ANI)
Edited by Saptak Datta and Praveen Pramod Tewari
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