Government Buildings Can Now Host Mobile Towers For Telecom Companies
In a move to fix the problem of call drops, the Department of Telecom (DoT) and Urban Development (MoUD) have agreed to allow telecom companies to install mobile towers on government buildings. Telecom Minister Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad informed the Lok Sabha today in a written reply that the DoT and MoUD have agreed in principle that telecom companies will now be allowed to install mobile sites on the government buildings. The permit however shall be subjected to overall structural safety.
The telcos will have to pay appropriate license fees to run their mobile sites atop government buildings. The mobile towers will be shared responsibility of the mobile companies and it will help address the problem of call drops to some extent. Installation of more mobile towers has become a necessity to address the growing number of complaints of poor connectivity and frequent call drops.
India has already become the third largest smartphone market in india and is expected to have about 314 million mobile Internet users in the next 2 years. A recent report by <a href="https://www.iamai.in" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Home | IAMAI</a> and KPMG hinted at super fast penetration of smartphones in India. The growth of 2G networks in the rural areas of India is also astonishing. That said, the Internet penetration is still just under 20% in India; leaving a large scope for further expansion.
Mr. Prasad further said that the mobile network operators will have to optimise their networks in order to cope up with the growing demand. The health related concerns from people has resulted into societies and residents objecting to installation of mobile towers on the top of buildings. Mr. Prasad further said that the DoT is now proactively taking steps to increase awareness among people.
The Chief Ministers of the states and MoUD have been asked to provide single window clearances and space on government owned land and buildings for mobile towers. The TERM cells will take up audits to measure the quality of service in metro and capital cities on the basis of KPIs.
The DoT has received several complaints against telcos operating in India. These include Airtel, Vodafone, RCom, Idea Cellular, Tata, BSNL, Aircel, MTS and MTNL. We hope that this move from the government will help solve the problem of call drops. Do share your views on possible ways to address the problem of connectivity.
The telcos will have to pay appropriate license fees to run their mobile sites atop government buildings. The mobile towers will be shared responsibility of the mobile companies and it will help address the problem of call drops to some extent. Installation of more mobile towers has become a necessity to address the growing number of complaints of poor connectivity and frequent call drops.
Mr. Prasad further said that the mobile network operators will have to optimise their networks in order to cope up with the growing demand. The health related concerns from people has resulted into societies and residents objecting to installation of mobile towers on the top of buildings. Mr. Prasad further said that the DoT is now proactively taking steps to increase awareness among people.
The Chief Ministers of the states and MoUD have been asked to provide single window clearances and space on government owned land and buildings for mobile towers. The TERM cells will take up audits to measure the quality of service in metro and capital cities on the basis of KPIs.
The DoT has received several complaints against telcos operating in India. These include Airtel, Vodafone, RCom, Idea Cellular, Tata, BSNL, Aircel, MTS and MTNL. We hope that this move from the government will help solve the problem of call drops. Do share your views on possible ways to address the problem of connectivity.
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