After several rounds of debate, the issue of determining rollout obligations seems to have reached a conclusion.
Prior to this, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) was in the process of amending the rules pertaining to this subject. Currently, operators are required to cover a minimum of 10 per cent of the district headquarters within the first year of their license term and 50 per cent over three years.
According to an internal note circulated by DoT, the amended guidelines will require operators to cover 20 per cent of block headquarters in their circles within the first two years of obtaining a licence.
Subsequently, another 10 per cent of block headquarters will have to be covered in the third year. This proposal is aimed at increasing rural penetration of telecom services.
This proposal was then put up before an Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM), which was to take a final decision on this subject.
Now, as per news reports, the EGoM has suggested certain guidelines on this subject, with the aim of increasing the penetration of telecom services in rural areas.
The EGoM has reportedly said that operators will be required to cover10 per cent of the blocks in the third year, 20 per cent of the blocks in the fourth year and 30 per cent of the blocks in the fifth year of their licence term.
