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The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), representing India's leading telecom service providers - Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea - has strongly opposed in what it termed as "illegal and anti-consumer model" adopted by Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) for provisioning telecom infrastructure on Metro Line 3 (Colaba-Bandra-Aarey corridor).
At the core of this issue is MMRC's decision to award telecom infrastructure deployment to a third-party IP-I vendor. As per a statement from COAI, under the current telecom licensing framework, IP-I providers are prohibited from deploying active infrastructure. "This move not only breaches the Telecommunication Act, 2023, but also sidelines licensed Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) who are legally authorized and technically equipped to independently deploy mobile networks," said COAI in a statement. "Deploying of such network(s) are a norm, even in important places like the PWD tunnel in Pragati Maidan or the Central Vista wherein the TSPs are laying infrastructure without paying any cost to anyone (including any third party)," it argued. All three telecom service providers (TSPs) had jointly proposed to install a common In-Building Solution (IBS) network across the metro corridor at their own cost, ensuring seamless and uninterrupted connectivity for commuters -- without any financial burden on MMRC, COAI said. "Despite this, MMRC arbitrarily rejected their request for Right of Way (RoW) permissions, citing the selection of a vendor through its internal tender process. This decision prioritizes commercial gains over public convenience and stands in blatant violation of the Telecommunication Act, 2023, which guarantees fair, non-discriminatory access to public infrastructure for licensed TSPs," COAI said. Among the key concerns raised by COAI and TSPS are that the MMRC's chosen model is in violation of the RoW provisions in the Telecommunication Act, which mandate access to public infrastructure (such as metro stations) for licensed operators. COAI reiterates that telecom service operators (TSPs) are ready and willing to deploy a robust, secure and unified telecom network across all stations on Metro Line 3 -- independently, and in full compliance with regulatory norms. Hence, COAI urges MMRC to immediately reconsider its current stance and uphold the principles of fair access, consumer convenience and lawful telecom infrastructure deployment. (ANI)
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