The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has accused Mumbai Metro of creating a monopoly by appointing a third-party vendor to provide mobile network connectivity within metro premises, sidelining telecom service providers (TSPs) and denying them the Right of Way (RoW).
“Telecom Service Providers are always willing to provide connectivity through IBS (In-Building Solutions). However, in the instant case, Mumbai Metro has created a monopoly on providing connectivity exclusively through a third-party vendor, and is now trying to extract monopolistic and extortionate rents for providing the mobile network,” said S P Kochhar, Director General of COAI.
The association, which represents major telecom players including Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, and Vodafone Idea, issued a statement on Sunday, May 18, to clarify its members’ position on mobile network connectivity in the Mumbai Metro, in response to what it described as baseless allegations against the industry in some reports.
Violation of Right of Way (RoW) and Telecom Act
According to COAI, this move contradicts the new Telecommunication Act and RoW rules, which prohibit public authorities from denying RoW to telecom operators in public spaces. The association highlighted that TSPs had proposed deploying a common network infrastructure (In-Building Solutions) to ensure seamless connectivity and minimise disruptions, a practice already in place at prominent locations such as the PWD tunnel in Pragati Maidan and Central Vista, where TSPs are laying infrastructure without paying any cost to any party, including third parties.
“As per the new Telecommunication Act and RoW Rules therein, a public authority cannot deny providing Right of Way to TSPs in a public place – which is exactly what is being done by the Mumbai Metro,” COAI said.
“Mumbai Metro is quoting precedence for appointing a third-party vendor and denying RoW to TSPs. It may be noted that wrong precedence does not make a legitimate one and the industry is separately addressing the issue of such monopolies being created, with a view to stop such extortionate practices,” Kochhar added.
COAI noted that TSPs are always willing to incur capital expenditure (Capex) to set up network inside the Metro, despite any additional incremental revenue. However, paying extortionate rates to the Mumbai Metro for such a network is not viable.
“It should be noted that services were being offered on a trial basis by all TSPs, pending finalisation of a formal agreement,” COAI said.
Industry’s Offer Ignored by Mumbai Metro
The association further added that TSPs had offered to provide mobile connectivity free of cost during the trial phase and until commercial agreements could be finalised. This reasonable and consumer-first proposal, communicated through a joint letter dated April 7, 2025, was reportedly ignored by Mumbai Metro.
COAI reiterated its commitment to ensuring uninterrupted mobile connectivity for commuters and expressed concerns over Mumbai Metro’s approach, which it said undermines competition and consumer interests.
Vodafone idea Enables Connectivity
Vodafone Idea on Monday said it is enables connectivity for Mumbai Metro commuters and remains firm in its stance on pricing negotiations.
“In the interest of consumer convenience and for uninterrupted connectivity for commuters, Vi ( Vodafone Idea) has activated mobile network services on the Mumbai Metro. Vi services are being provided on a trial basis and free of cost – as was the case earlier, pending finalisation of any formal commercial agreement. We firmly believe that the commercial arrangement must be fair, transparent, and at a reasonable pricing. We continue to engage with relevant stakeholders to arrive at mutually agreeable terms, that not only serve the public interest, but are also commercially viable,” said a Vi spokesperson to TelecomTalk.
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