Telecom infrastructure in India is usually damaged due to construction or the careless nature of diggers trying to lay pipes or do more. While the DoT (Department of Telecommunications) brought an application called the 'Call Before u Dig' app to counter these issues, it is not enough. Speaking at an industry event, Mathew Oommen, Reliance Jio's President has urged the policymakers to ensure that legal action be taken against those who are damaging the critical telecom infrastructure.
It becomes very hard for the telcos to offer reliable internet connectivity services when their telecom infra is harmed continuously in all parts of the country. Oommen requested an active collaborative engagement so that no one could destroy the critical telecom infra in the country. Fiber cuts are common in the country, and it interrupts telcos in offering seamless and high-quality connectivity services to their customers.
Read More - Jio and Airtel Might Soon Show a 5G Coverage Map to Users
Apart from this, according to an ET report, Oommen asked the policymakers to ensure that India has a robust spectrum pipeline, especially under 10 GHz. The industry bodies including the COAI (Cellular Operators Association of India) and GSMA have requested the Indian government to allocate the 6 GHz frequencies for IMT services so that telcos can offer better 5G coverage and speeds.
Oommen said that Indian telecom operators have to work with the least amount of spectrum per subscriber in the world, and that is why, they need more spectrum in the sub-10 GHz bands so that they can meet their coverage needs.
Read More - Jio is Offering 6GB Extra Data along with OTT Benefits with this Prepaid Plan
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) will hold the next round of spectrum auctions in India on May 20, 2024. The telcos are exepcted to go light in the upcoming spectrum auction as most of their needs are already covered. They will only look to renew spectrum in the circles where it is expiring soon.
