Trai seeks views on infra-sharing in residential and commercial complexes

KOLKATA: The telecom regulator has sought views from industry stakeholders on whether infrastructure-sharing should be made mandatory for operators within residential and commercial complexes, airports, malls and hotels so that in-building access and coverage can be spruced up.

In a consultation paper issued Monday, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India asked for feedback on ways to encourage sharing of telecom infrastructure. It invited views on whether sharing of in-building solutions, antennae systems and optical fibre/copper cables within residential and commercial complexes, airports and hotels should be made mandatory.

The regulator also wants to know if the market is capable of taking care of these issues without policy intervention. Responses have been invited by July 7 and counter-comments by July 14.

According to Trai, access restrictions are typically caused when a resident welfare association or a builder enters “into an exclusive contract with a telecom service provider, leading to an artificial monopoly, which needs to be addressed.”

The regulator has sought views on provisions that need to be included in the National Building Code of India to facilitate unhindered access for all telecom operators.

The Bureau of Indian Standards is framing the code, under which provisions for common telecom infrastructure in buildings are being envisaged. The telecom regulator said it would be impractical to have individual telcos set up separate inbuilding infrastructure, which would result in “multiplication of networks” and also lead to huge outgo “of avoidable costs.”