The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), the Indian non-governmental industry body of telecom operators of India has appreciated the efforts of the Rajasthan government to reduce the charges for laying of Aerial OFC and Underground OFC. The industry body stated that the reduction in charges will lead to a faster installation of aerial OFC resulting in the quicker and effective rollout of the 5G network across the State leading to a digitally connected and more advanced Rajasthan.
Reduced Charges Will Result in Faster Roll Out
The statement from COAI comes in as the Rajasthan government has further reduced the charges for laying aerial OFC in an order released on February 1, 2022. The prices have now been dropped to Rs 1,000 per pole annually, Rs 2,000 per manhole per chamber at District Headquarters & Rs 1,000 per manhole per chamber in other towns. This would result in a much more cost-effective rollout of the Optical Fiber Cable (OFC) in the future. The Director-General of COAI, Lt. Gen. Dr SP Kochhar said in a statement that the step from the Rajasthan government to reduce the charges for the deployment of aerial OFC, as well as underground OFC, is appreciated. He added that the reduction in charges by the Government of Rajasthan will further facilitate the speedy roll-out of telecom infrastructure to make Rajasthan Digitally more advanced. It is to be noted that Rajasthan was the first state to issue an Order in 2017 encouraging the deployment of Tower, Underground OFC, Aerial OFC, CoW, Micro Site, Small Cell, IBS, etc. that are essential to improve the digital connectivity across the state. One cannot deny the need for the telecom industry in today’s time. Telecom services is a public utility and are crucial in providing a robust network of mobile towers to boost connectivity and improve the overall socio-economic development of the country. To make the country more digitally advanced, it is necessary to develop a robust and secure state-of-the-art telecommunication network providing seamless coverage. Telecom services were a boon during the unprecedented events that took place with the widespread pandemic and the country going into lockdown. It is necessary to have a sturdy telecom industry with a robust network of mobile towers ensuring enhanced connectivity and bridging the gap of the digital divide in the country.
