Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has applauded the state government of Tamil Nadu for the directions issued by them to safeguard the telecom infrastructure. The directives had been issued in response to the comprehensive letter shared by COAI, highlighting the need for authorities to be cognizant of the developments in the sector and provide the necessary support to build infrastructure for technological advancements.
To this end, Principal Secretary IT of Tamil Nadu had instructed the district collectors (DCs) to take legal action against people damaging or obstructing the duly approved existing or upcoming telecom infrastructure. They have also requested the concerned authorities to take proper legal action against miscreants using the misleading narrative related to electro-magnetic field (EMF) emission from mobile towers to obstruct the installation of telecom infrastructure. In addition to the above, government had also instructed the concerned authorities to share the approvals for tower and open fibre control (OFC) installation with the nearest station house officer (SHO) to prevent any delays in the administrative jurisdiction as well as to safeguard tower installation.
India is on the threshold of an enormous socio-economic transformation, typified by rapid growth. Telecom Services is a public utility and growth engine for the socio-economic development of the country. For socio-economic progress, there is a need for a strong telecom industry that forms the bedrock by providing a robust network of mobile towers to boost connectivity. The state has 45,321 telecom towers as of Jul 31, 2021, but as per National Broadband Mission, it needs 97,116 telecom towers by 2024 to make the state digitally advanced.
Commenting on the efficient management of Tamil Nadu government, Lt. Gen. SP Kochhar, director general, COAI, said, “Being an essential service, telecommunication infrastructure and its services continue playing a significant role to keep individuals and organizations connected and running. During the pandemic, the industry is trying to expedite the roll-out of Telecom Infrastructure to ensure uninterrupted connectivity round the clock to support various critical services and maintain communication across the States. But, unfortunately, due to prevailing EMF myths regarding Radiation from Telecom Infrastructure our members are facing challenges in maintaining/upgrading the telecom infrastructure despite having all the necessary permission from the concerned department. As recognized by PM Shri Narendra Modi, Telecom infrastructure is a public property of strategic importance; hence, it is criminal to vandalize it. We are thankful to the Government of Tamil Nadu for recognizing Telecom Infrastructure as an essential service and issuing necessary directions to safeguard the security of the same. These directions will help support the speedy roll-out of telecom infrastructure across the state making Tamil Nadu digitally advanced under the new vision shared by Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi of building a new Atmanirbhar Bharat by 2022, it is important to develop a robust and secure state-of-the-art telecommunication network providing seamless coverage. To outright this mission of providing seamless connectivity and building the infrastructure required which can expedite the journey towards digitally connected India and the government’s vision to provide benefits to the empowerment of citizens of the country. The service providers will be working closely with the state for the infrastructural enhancement of the state and creating a digitally connected ecosystem.”
