Views of Neeraj Kumar: “Access to infrastructure should be ubiquitous” -

Neeraj Kumar, Mission Director, National Broadband Mission (NBM), Department of Telecommunications

With the growing demand for multi-gigabit connectivity in households in the digital age, the Broadband India Forum recently organised a conference on “A Robust Digital Infrastructure for Bharat: The Path to Achieving Multi-Gigabit to Every Household by 2030”. The conference highlighted the criticality of ensuring balanced access to various essential components of digital infrastructure, including optic fibre, mobile towers, licensed spectrum, data centres, Wi-Fi, content delivery networks and undersea cables. At the event, Neeraj Kumar, mission director, National Broadband Mission (NBM), Department of Telecommunications, spoke on several topics including the challenges surrounding broadband connectivity, the obstacles in laying optic fibre cables (OFCs), the government’s role in addressing these challenges and the necessity to implement right of way (RoW) policies effectively. Edited excerpts from his address…

Broadband connectivity holds significant value, offering numerous benefits and functionalities. However, its effective implementation necessitates the presence of robust infrastructure, affordability and device safety and security. Despite the availability of full connectivity signals, issues such as call drops persist, highlighting the importance of “meaningful connectivity”. In my opinion, meaningful connectivity should enable seamless work, communication and transactions. Therefore, our focus should shift towards emphasising meaningful connectivity rather than merely addressing connectivity in general. Regarding the provision of fibre or broadband, it is crucial to align with the needs of the common man in rural areas. Instead of solely advocating for the provision of fibre or broadband, the emphasis should be on services.

“Raising awareness about the transformative impact of connectivity is crucial.”

It is crucial to remember that the initial implementation of BharatNet Phase I encountered challenges due to a lack of foresight in its execution. While the focus was on laying fibre infrastructure, insufficient attention was given to planning its utilisation. This oversight resulted in the loss and misappropriation of some fibre, particularly by private entities, as there were no clear geographic information system marks in place. Furthermore, in states such as Sikkim, instances arose where the laying of fibre was ineffective, either due to damage or being affected by unforeseen events such as landslides. Thus, learning from these experiences, the new BharatNet plan is being implemented, which not only involves the expansion of fibre infrastructure but also integrates additional services to ensure a more comprehensive and effective approach.

I firmly believe that instead of just providing fibre or broadband, we should focus on providing comprehensive services. Take, for instance, the public call offices of the past, where individuals could easily make calls without any hassle. Similarly, ATMs allow seamless access to banking services regardless of the location. Following this model, it should not matter whether one resides in urban or rural areas, villages or districts; access to such infrastructure should be ubiquitous. This infrastructure will serve as the backbone for various services. For instance, in the healthcare industry, it will provide services such as telemedicine, health insurance and pharmacies. These services could either be funded by private enterprises or government initiatives. Once this infrastructure is in place, it can be rented out to start-ups such as Practo. While companies may not directly invest in infrastructure, they can utilise it for some time, thereby yielding a favourable return on investment. That said, this synergy will ensure a convergence point for patients and healthcare providers.

I have been involved in the NBM for approximately two and a half years, where we have key performance indicators to achieve. First, the target was to achieve 100 per cent broadband connectivity by 2022-23. However, currently, we are at 94.9 per cent. The remaining connectivity will be provided through Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited’s 4G saturation project, which is expected to be completed within the next six to eight months.

Second, the goal is to have a minimum broadband speed of 50 Mbps by 2024-25. We have already exceeded this target and are currently at 105 Mbps. Third, the target for fibre to be laid on the ground is 5 million km. Currently, we are at 4.09 million km. Fourth, the goal is to deploy around 1.5 million towers by 2024-25, and currently, we have deployed around 0.8 million towers in the country. Additionally, the target for fiberisation, which refers to the percentage of towers or base transceiver stations connected with fibre, is 70 per cent by 2024-25. We are currently at 44 per cent. Further, there is also a need for mapping the fibre.

After extensive discussions with telecommunications service providers (TSPs) and internet service providers (ISPs) regarding the expansion of fibre infrastructure, persistent challenges have surfaced. It appears that the approach of unbundling the local loop, which worked in the US and Europe, did not yield the same results in India. In contrast to western countries, where landline connectivity was well-established before the advent of mobile technology, India witnessed the proliferation of mobile technology before widespread landline penetration. Consequently, mobile broadband became more prevalent in India. Similarly, while credit cards dominate in American countries, India has embraced the unified payments interface as an alternative payment method.

Considering China’s extensive fibre infrastructure, it is important to recognise that what works in one country may not necessarily translate to success in another. Some TSPs question the necessity of deploying OFC when microwave technology can provide sufficient bandwidth. Moreover, despite OFC being cost-effective, the hurdles of obtaining permissions, laying cables and paying restoration charges pose significant challenges. Many state governments perceive TSPs and ISPs as revenue sources and impose additional taxes such as property taxes on telecom towers. Therefore, anticipating these complexities, the introduction of the new Indian Telecommunications Act in 2023 was eagerly awaited, which aims to address these evolving dynamics.

Currently, we are engaged in negotiations with state governments across the country to discuss RoW charges. For instance, while there are RoW policies in place for the Uttar Pradesh government, the Noida Authority (or the Greater Noida Authority) may not comply with them. Therefore, we are actively working to resolve this discrepancy and establish a uniform policy framework that all entities within a state can follow.

TSPs have faced challenges in laying down OFC due to various reasons. One major obstacle has been the difficulty in obtaining permission to carry out this infrastructure work. However, with the recent introduction of an online RoW portal, the process of obtaining permission has become significantly more streamlined and accessible. Additionally, the majority of the states (31 out of 36) have implemented deemed approval facilities, which means that if there is no response within 60 days of applying, the RoW approval will be granted.

When I joined NBM in December 2021, there were 71,000 pending applications on the RoW portal, and numerous physical applications were also in process. During that time, the entire process took 480 days to complete, but now it has been substantially reduced to three to four weeks. At present, we receive 6,000-8,000 applications every month.

Despite the introduction of RoW policies, certain states continue to charge restoration fees. We are actively working with these states to address this issue. Furthermore, discussions are under way with authorities from Power Grid Corporation of India (Powergrid) to explore collaboration opportunities. For example, the challenge of laying OFC in regions such as Arunachal Pradesh, prone to issues such as landslides, necessitates resilient infrastructure. Powergrid’s towers, known for their robustness, offer a potential solution. By leveraging its infrastructure for backhaul, we can enhance resilience, particularly during natural disasters.

Our efforts span various aspects, including advocacy for RoW policies. Telecom companies should actively invest in states, supported by their respective governments. Additionally, addressing bureaucratic hurdles through education is imperative. Going forward, raising awareness about the transformative impact of connectivity is crucial, highlighting its potential to spur employment opportunities, increase rental value and foster overall development within states. Thus, it is essential to present stakeholders with a comprehensive vision of plans and strategies.