India’s telecom operators have sought urgent intervention from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), alleging that Navi Mumbai International Airport Limited (NMIAL) has denied right of way (RoW) permissions and enforced an exclusive in-building telecom arrangement in violation of the Telecommunications Act, 2023 and the RoW Rules, 2024.
Earlier this year, telecom operators had raised similar concerns against Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL), which had appointed ACES India to provide connectivity inside metro stations. MMRCL had signed a 12-year contract with ACES India, a wholly owned subsidiary of ACES Saudi Arabia, to deliver telecom services to an estimated 625 million passengers annually.
In May 2025, telcos had also written to airport authorities in Bengaluru, Thiruvananthapuram, Guwahati, Navi Mumbai, and Mumbai, seeking permission to deploy in-building solutions (IBS) for telecom connectivity without routing services through a single exclusive provider or without the involvement of a neutral host.
Most recently, in a letter dated December 30, 2025, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), which represents Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea Limited (Vi), said that NMIAL, being a public entity under telecom law, is legally required to grant RoW permissions in a non-discriminatory and time-bound manner for the deployment of telecom infrastructure, including IBS, within airport premises.
COAI alleged that NMIAL has refused to grant such permissions and has instead directed telecom service providers to compulsorily use a network deployed by the airport operator itself. NMIAL is reportedly charging Rs 9.2 million per month per operator, translating to nearly Rs 441.6 million annually for four operators.
In addition, COAI has urged the DoT to direct NMIAL to allow independent deployment of 4G and 5G networks within the airport and to examine the legality of NMIAL’s actions, including its role and obligations as a virtual network operator licensee.
