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In a letter to the Telecom Secretary, COAI said the intervention of DoT (Department of Telecommunications) is important to ensure adherence to the statutory RoW framework, preservation of competitive neutrality and to prevent inconvenience to consumers and passengers using airport facilities.
In telecommunication parlance, Right of Way (RoW) defines rules and rights regarding the deployment and operation of telecommunications infrastructure by service providers on public and private property.
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COAI said its member telecom service providers (TSPs), including Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio Infocom and Vodafone Idea, had approached NMIAL to seek necessary approvals to deploy their own telecom networks, including IBS (In-Building Solutions) infrastructure to provide seamless 4G and 5G connectivity within the airport premises.
“However, contrary to the statutory framework under the Telecom Act, 2023 and RoW Rules 2024, NMIAL has refused to grant the necessary permission,” COAI alleged.
An email sent by PTI to Navi Mumbai International Airport seeking comment on the issue did not elicit any response.
COAI said NMIAL has directed telecom companies to compulsorily use the networks deployed by it “at excessive and commercially unsustainable charges”.
“It is informed to our members that NMIAL is demanding payment of approximately Rs 92 lakh per month per operator, which is approximately Rs 44.16 crore per annum for the four operators,” it said.
The association described the charges as extremely disproportionate and significantly higher than the total capital expenditure normally required to deploy an independent IBS network.
“Moreover, such charges appear to include components far beyond what is permissible under the RoW rules, which limit the charges strictly to administrative expenses and restoration costs,” it said.
COAI said that NMIAL holds a VNO Cat-B license for access services, and claimed that it “has granted itself exclusive RoW rights under the guise of being a neutral host”.
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According to COAI, “Such arrangements are not permitted under the telecom regulatory framework, as the Telecommunications Act, 2023 and the applicable authorization conditions do not permit the creation of a monopoly arrangement for the grant of exclusive right of way or provision of right of way for the purpose of building a telecommunications network.”
The association has urged DoT to direct NMIAL, “being a public entity under the Right of Way framework” to grant RoW clearance to licensed telecom companies as per the Telecom Act, 2023 and applicable RoW rules, thereby enabling deployment of independent 4G/5G and IBS infrastructure on the airport premises.
COAI also requested the DoT to “investigate and take appropriate action against NMIAL as UL-VNO licensee for granting special RoW for construction of IBS, violating the terms and conditions of its authorisation/license and creating an unacceptable monopoly arrangement”.
“Direct NMIAL to refrain from making false or misleading allegations against the licensed TSPs (Telecom Service Providers) with respect to lack of network coverage at the airport, where such coverage constraints are directly attributable to non-grant of RoW permissions by NMIAL,” COAI said.
(edited by : name lion,