While India is currently witnessing a robust growth in its subscriber base, the quality of services (QoS) delivered to customers has become a key area of concern. The issue has come under the spotlight post the ongoing call drop menace as operators continuously fail to meet the standards in terms of quality and performance set by the regulator. Many customers face problems related to dismal service quality whether they are on the go or on-premises or inside residential and commercial complexes.
In line with its recent efforts to ensure quality services for all users every time everywhere, the Telecom Regulatory Authority Of India (TRAI) has come out with a consultation paper to addresses issues of in-building infrastructure development, access and sharing.
Key issues
In-building deployment in India is currently achieved through commercial agreements between the incumbent mobile operators and the building owner/building developer/resident welfare associations. The speed of deployment is often hindered by building owners/building developers delaying the negotiations or requesting high rents.
Therefore, in such cases, only a particular operator is allowed to lay the telecom infrastructure on the premises and other operators are denied access, thus creating an artificial barrier. Such practices not only limit competition but also restrict consumer choices to seek services from alternative operators.
Proposed solutions
It is imperative for all service providers to offer better mobile coverage inside big residential/commercial complexes to improve the QoS of their networks. However, it is not practically possible for all operators to deploy individual in-building infrastructure as this will result in the multiplication of networks as well as entail huge costs. Therefore, it would be beneficial if one or a few providers set up the required telecom infrastructure inside the buildings and others share it. Further, it may not be feasible for different operators to lay cables repeatedly on the same land/building. The sharing of infrastructure reduces transaction costs, and helps in faster roll-out of services.
The concept of sharing is in line with the objectives defined in the National Telecom Policy, 2012. The policy lays emphasis on maximising the public good by ensuring the availability of affordable, reliable and secure telecom and broadband services across the country. To this end, the installation of telecom infrastructure such as cables, fibre, and in-building solutions (IBS)/micro BTS/HetNet inside the building and sharing it with other service providers will be a key move.
In its previous recommendations on “Telecom Infrastructure Policy” of April 12, 2011, TRAI had examined the issue of encouraging the use of IBS for better coverage and QoS, reduction in the level of radiations from macro cell sites, as well as sharing of IBS amongst service providers. It was suggested that all government departments, along with airports and hospitals (with more than 100 beds) must be provided with IBS/distributed antenna system solutions. However, there has hardly been any progress on this front.
To this end, operators/infrastructure providers can be prohibited from entering into contracts or arrangements, which results in exclusivity. An operator can be asked to mandatorily share its telecom infrastructure inside the building with the other willing operators at reasonable and non-discriminatory charges. In this regard, mandatory provisions could be made for newly planned buildings or those under construction.
A robust telecom infrastructure acts as a strong foundation for providing reliable telecom services. Therefore, it must be developed in a planned manner so as to cater to existing and future demand efficiently. To this end, the local administration should make it mandatory for buildings to have adequate provisions for ducts/optical fibre and IBS while approving the construction of new facilities such as multiplexes, malls and hotels. The provisions should be such that all operators are given a choice to provide telecom services to the residents/tenants of the society/building.
TRAI, in its recommendations on “Delivering Broadband Quickly: What do we need to do?” dated April 17, 2015, has examined the issue of ensuring an access mechanism for telecom services in residential/commercial complexes. Further, the Bureau of Indian Standards has envisaged a “National Building Code of India” under which there is a provision of common telecom infrastructure inside the buildings for improved telecom services.
Issues for consultation
TRAI has sought the views of stakeholders on whether policy guidelines are required for ensuring IBS access, on how to encourage the sharing of telecom infrastructure inside residential or commercial buildings, and what provisions can be included in the National Building Code of India to facilitate unhindered access for all operators.
Akanksha Mahajan Marwah
