(a) whether telecom system is not functioning properly due to lack of BTS Towers at many places of the country and if so, the details thereof including the names of the places where telecom system is inadequate, State/UT-wise;
(b) the efforts made by the Government to set up sufficient number of BTS towers and the time since when these efforts are being made?
MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS, EDUCATION AND
ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
(SHRI SANJAY DHOTRE)
(a) Sir, Telecom Services are functioning properly in most of the places in the country except a few rural and remote areas. Service Providers install towers/Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs) as per their techno-commercial viability and to fulfil the rollout obligation criteria as per their License Conditions. Multiple factors such as inability to install additional BTSs on existing Towers due to loading issues, opposition from local residents due to perceived fear of EMF (Electro-Magnetic Field) radiation, non-availability of suitable structure at a few places, inaccessible terrain and transportation difficulties of equipment at some locations, and unwarranted delays in commissioning new sites due to various procedural formalities from local administration/ agencies, limit the feasibility of tower installation.
(b) Government has enabled growth of Telecom Sector by bringing in new licence conditions, regulations and policies. These include:
• Sharing of Active Infrastructure by TSPs,
• Spectrum Sharing,
• Spectrum Trading,
• Spectrum Harmonisation and
• Right of Way Rules.
With these policy interventions, the mobile BTS has shown a growth of 249% during the 6½ years and tower infrastructure has shown a growth of 55% during the last 5 years. The details are attached as Annexure-I.
Government has implemented/planned various schemes with financial support from Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) to expand mobile services in rural and remote areas. The first scheme of USOF for provision of BTS Towers was “Shared Mobile Infrastructure”. The agreement signed with successful bidders under this Scheme was effective from 01/06/2007. The details of scheme with USOF support has been enumerated in Annexure-II.
Also, Government of India notified Indian Telegraph Right of Way Rules – 2016 in November 2016 to address the difficulties being faced by the Telecom Service Providers, Infrastructure Providers and Telecom Companies with various States/ Union Territories and concerned Central Government Departments/ Agencies in creation of underground and over ground telecom infrastructure on account of multiple right of way related issues and exorbitant charges. These rules govern the Right of Way procedures for setting up towers and laying fibres across the country.