The Tower and Infrastructure Providers Association (TAIPA), has asked the Union telecom secretary Anshu Prakash to implement rules to allow sharing of the active infrastructure of mobile networks by companies registered as IP-I.
According to the industry body, which represents companies like Indus Towers, American Tower Corporation, any delay in implementation of National Digital Communications Policy (NDCP) 2018 is likely to impact the Centre's target to generate $1 trillion from digital services by 2025 and may also cause hindrance in 5G rollout.
The NDCP cleared by the Union cabinet recognises that to achieve the objectives there is a need to encourage and facilitate sharing of active infrastructure by enhancing the scope of Infrastructure Providers (IPs).
Recently the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has recommended that companies registered as IP- I should be allowed to own, establish, maintain, and work all such infrastructure items, equipment, and systems that are required for establishing the fixed-line network, mobile networks and transmission links but not elements of the core network.
The telecom sector requires investments for the expeditious rollout of any new technology and sharing of active infrastructure by enhancement of scope of IP-I registration, without any licensing requirement is one of the key policy provisions of NDCP 2018 which is awaiting implementation for more than 3 years now, Taipa director general TR Dua said.
“We humbly submit that the above crucial decision would provide the much-needed impetus to achieve the targets enshrined inNDCP 2018 besides achieving the goal of USD 1 trillion from digital services by 2025. Any further delay in the implementation would lead to corresponding delays in achieving the various objectives of NDCP, besides causing impediments to the rollout of 5G technology” Dua said.
According to Dua, the deployment of common shareable passive as well active infrastructure sharing will accelerate the process of provisioning of ready to use telecom infrastructure besides attracting the much-needed investments to the sector.
