COAI And TAIPA’s Media Statement On OFC Matter

COAI’s Statement on OFC matter in Bangalore

“BBMP’s arbitrary order stopping work and cancelling all OFC permissions to telecom operators is extremely disappointing. Stopping of OFC work disrupts critical digital infrastructure and will hurt businesses. In compliance with applicable norms, work was undertaken by service providers after securing all required approvals from BBMP and paying significant amounts towards fees. To serve the customers with quality services and to build Digital India, telecom industry needs an enabling environment from BBMP and the Government of Karnataka. We urge them to allow the restoration of impacted work immediately and to have clear and stable RoW Policy which will further allow to develop a future ready framework to enable deliver world-class digital connectivity to citizens in the IT capital of India.”

To be attributed to  Rajan S Mathews, Director General, COAI

TAIPA’s media statement

“Such retrograde step by BBMP without any prior information and bilateral discussions with the industry is completely unjustified. It will deprive citizens and especially businesses in the IT city like Bangalore from seamless network and internet connectivity and impede rollout of new technologies like 5G, M2M/IoT etc in the State besides seriously impacting various ambitious programs of the Government of India such as Digital India, Smart City, financial inclusion etc. In order to streamline the issue, first step for the state of Karnataka is to immediately withdraw the Orders cancelling all RoW permissions and come out with a comprehensive RoW Policy in the State which is in line with Central Government’s Right of Way Rules issued in November 2016 by the Department of Telecommunication to ensure deployment of critical telecom tower infrastructure with ease and lawfully. We have been requesting the State Government for last 3-4 years to come out with a RoW Policy for OFC in line with RoW Rules 2016 of the Central Govt. however the same has not seen the light of the day.”

To be attributed to T.R. Dua, Director General, TAIPA

―CT Bureau