5G rollout: Big right of way delays in opposition-ruled Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Bihar

The Centre has red flagged pendency of Right of Way applications - essential for 5G rollout - across several states. The tally is led by Opposition-ruled Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Bihar, data shared by the telecom department at a review meeting with states on December 9 show.

The applications pending for more than three months are also high in AAP-ruled Delhi, Trinamool Congress-ruled West Bengal and BJP-ruled Tripura.

The Right of Way - clearing passage for installation of telecom infrastructure - is key to 5G rollout.


As on December 5, around 18,200 RoW applications were found pending in Tamil Nadu. Of these, 4,893 were undecided for more than three months, Gati Shakti data showed.

The state is yet to align policies to the RoW format, finalise its RoW application format for 5G rollout, enable GIS mapping of its street furniture and implement the online processing and payment gateway for ROW fees submission, it was noted. Kerala comes next with 2,724 RoW applications pending as on December 5.

The state's delay in policy alignment on street furniture usage for mounting 5G small cells besides the high one-time track rental, '75,000 per km , is also seen as a deterrent.

In Bihar, Of the 1,740 pending applications, 1,537 are dragging on for over 90 days.

In AAP-ruled Delhi, 227 of the 351 pending applications have remained undecided for over three months. Delhi's new Lt Governor VK Saxena recently approved the notification of Delhi's RoW policy.

All 105 applications at Trinamool Congress-led West Bengal are pending for over three months. Incidentally, the 28 RoW applications in BJP-ruled Tripura are also lingering for over 90 days.

In contrast, in Congress-ruled Chhattisgarh and Arunachal Pradesh not a single pending application has been held back for more than three months.

Over a thousand RoW applications are pending in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Rajasthan. UP recorded 661 pending RoW applications- 187 of these are awaiting disposal for over three months.

Across states, over 470 RoW applications are found pending with the forest departments. A Fortnightly Regional Coordination Meeting Committee(FRCM) is in effect to address the pending proposals.

Delay in finalization of the RoW application form for 5G rollout and integration with central RoW portal are identified as reasons for the lag across several states.

All the states have been asked at the review to align their RoW policies with the Indian Telegraph RoW rules, 2016 to facilitate a speedy 5G roll out.

The Rules now allow for rationalisation of RoW charges across ministries, do away with the requirement of consent from a government authority for installing telecom infrastructure and bring a single window clearance system.

Tower charges are seen as high in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Goa besides Bihar and Kerala.