The government of Delhi has notified its Right of Way (RoW) Policy for Underground Infrastructure and Over-ground Telecommunications Infrastructure, 2023. The policy aims at encouraging the use of micro communication equipment and in-building solutions (IBS) to address the issue of poor connectivity.
The policy aims to promote installations of IBS, where there is poor connectivity in terms of weak signal strength inside offices, shopping malls, hospitals, multi-storey buildings, education institutions with the aim to strengthen quality of mobile network service. There will be various modes of deployment of IBS including deployment by a neutral host infrastructure provider. Additionally, for deploying indoor solutions, companies will require permissions from the building owners.
The policy also intends to promote micro-communication equipment that can be installed on any structure or building including group housing complexes, government buildings, residential buildings, and electric poles. In addition, the works of laying optical fibre cable (underground and aerial) by the side of the roads and other places will be done by the licencees after prior permission of appropriate authority like Public Works Department (PWD), Delhi Development Authority (DDA), power distribution companies (discoms), forest department among others.
Furthermore, the department will provide clarification and instructions from time to time to overcome the difficulties in the implementation or upgradation of the policy.
