RoW delays, arbitrary charges stall telecom expansion: MoS

New Delhi: Prolonged delays, arbitrary charges, and inconsistent processes of local authorities for right of way permissions required for rolling out telecom infrastructure are holding back the expansion of digital networks, Minister of State for Communications Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani said.

The minister, during a meeting with state IT ministers at India Mobile Congress 2025, urged the state governments to take action to operationalize single window systems, enforce time bound approvals, collaborate with local bodies to ensure rational cost based charges and align state IT policies with newer developments.

He said that the National Broadband Mission 2.0 has set forth ambitious targets that will transform the nation by 2030 with 100% broadband connectivity across all villages, number, achieving 80% household broadband penetration nationwide, fibre connectivity to 90 %of telecom towers to enable high speed internet and establishing a robust ecosystem for 5G densification and future 6G readiness.