The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has set December 31, 2013 as the deadline for operators to submit supporting documents regarding the radiation levels emitted from telecom towers. This move follows the introduction of new radiation norms in 2012.
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If operators fail to meet the deadline, they will be charged a penalty of up to Rs 50,000 per site for delays beyond 30 days. Further, the non-submission of documents beyond 60 days would lead to the closure of the telecom tower site. The telecom service providers will be allowed to restore operations at the telecom tower site only after payment of the penalty. In case of shared sites, supporting documents will have to be furnished by all the telecom operators sharing the base station.
In case of newly set-up telecom tower sites, the timelines for submission of documents will include noncommercial radiation from the telecom site during the testing phase. In case the operators are unable to meet the 15-day deadline, they will have to pay a fine of Rs 5,000 per site which can go up to Rs 20,000 for delays between 15 and 30 days.
