TRAI suggests actions to improve telecom infrastructure in North Eastern states

Regulator's recommendations have been developed with the goal of enhancing regional telecom infrastructure, bridging the digital gap, unlocking economic potential, overcoming geographic barriers, encouraging collaboration, and ensuring national security.

In order to strengthen the telecom infrastructure in the North East, TRAI has recommended negotiations with the state governments to harmonize their respective "right of way" policies with pertinent Central regulations as well as favoring the priority provision of electricity to telecom sites at utility rates.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) noted that despite the government's efforts to increase telecom connectivity in the northeastern states, there is still a dearth of fixed broadband connectivity and high-speed mobile internet, primarily because of insufficient transmission bandwidth (optical fiber, microwave, and satellite).

According to a release from the industry regulator, "the Northeast states continue to struggle with a significant digital divide due to a number of factors, including inhospitable terrain conditions, poor availability of power supply, transmission media-related restrictions, poor return of investment prospects for TSPs, and Right of Way (RoW) related issues."

The states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura make up the Northeastern area (NER), which is a component of the East Himalayan area.

Given that the Northeast Licensed Service Area, which consists of six states including Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Tripura, has a teledensity of 79.6% while the average tele-density of India (as of April 2023) was 84.46%, the most recent TRAI recommendations become significant.

The digital divide hinders the socioeconomic development of the area, limits access to necessary services and information, and widens the developmental gap between the Northeast and the rest of the nation, according to TRAI.

As a result, the sector regulator's recommendations have been developed with the goal of enhancing regional telecom infrastructure, bridging the digital gap, unlocking economic potential, overcoming geographic barriers, encouraging collaboration, and ensuring national security.

“COAI welcomes some of the important recommendations made by TRAI, which re-emphasize some of the industry’s long-standing asks. The industry is confident that if implemented in letter and spirit, these progressive recommendations will provide further impetus to proliferation of telecom and broadband services in the North-East region of the country, thus propelling socio-economic and digital progress for the citizens. Following are the recommendations which would benefit the telecom ecosystem in the region, especially the consumers.

The Authority has recommended complete exemption of Right of Way (RoW) charges in the rural, tribal and hilly regions for a duration of five years, which will encourage TSPs to invest further towards network deployments in the lesser populated regions." said Lt. Gen. Dr. S.P. Kochhar, Director General, COAI.

As regards provisioning power supply for the telecom sector, it has been recommended that electricity be provided to telecom sites as a priority (within 15 days of connections request) and importantly, at Utility/Industrial tariff rates. The respective State Electricity Regulatory Commissions (SERCs) are to notify these utility tariffs, which are to be lower than the Industrial tariff. Further, waiving off or subsidizing last mile installation charges for extending electricity connection to telecom sites in remote and hilly areas has been recommended. These would serve in faster and more economic operations of the sector, eventually benefitting the consumers. Use of renewable energy for telecom has also recommended to be supported through a proposed Government scheme to fund installation of renewable energy sources at all important strategic telecom sites in remote hilly areas immediately.

Enabling provisions recommended to be incorporated in the Ministry of Environment and Forests’ policy to expedite accord of environmental clearance to TSPs for installing Mobile towers and DG sets for tower locations, would hasten telecom infrastructure development in the region. Further, the Authority’s earlier recommendations on ‘Use of Street Furniture for Small Cell and Aerial Fiber Deployment’ have been advised to be implemented to strengthen 5G deployments.

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has been recommended to engage with the Department of Expenditure (DoE), to extend the execution timeline for projects proposed by states under the 'Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment for FY 2022-23' scheme, especially Part V, involving the scope of extending last mile connectivity using OFC. This would help ensure that the planned development efforts in the region are not disrupted or delayed due to the lack of project implementation time.” Lt. Gen. Dr. S.P. Kochhar added.

According to TRAI, these suggestions will significantly boost the region's communications infrastructure, enabling seamless communication, effective surveillance, and efficient border cooperation.