Tags: BSNL, MTNL, Reliance, Vodafone

Indian mobile companies to share infrastructure to improve on congestion problems

The efforts of TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) to reduce congestion on the mobile networks in India are finally showing some results. The mobile companies in India have decided to share infrastructure with each other to overcome the problem of mobile phone coverage in the country.

This decision includes both the CDMA and GSM operators and also has the support of the government owned telecom companies BSNL and MTNL. Communications and IT Minister Dayanidhi Maran said after a meeting with CEOs of telecom companies: “A working group will be formed in the next two weeks to work out the modalities on infrastructure sharing. The group will be headed by a Joint Secretary in the Department of Telecommunications and would have officials of the service providers as members.”

The group has said that this collaboration with start showing a result in around eight weeks time. This sharing would begin in the larger cities like Delhi and Mumbai and would spread to other parts of the country in the coming months.

Mr. Maran added: “There were large parts in a city like Delhi which were not available for private mobile phone companies for putting up towers. By agreeing to share the infrastructure, they will be able to access the towers of state-owned companies. By coming together, they can also get approval to set up limited base stations in sensitive areas, which they can share. This will improve coverage, address the problem of call drop and will benefit customers.”

These mobile companies would also consider the aesthetics of the skyline while putting up towers. They are planning to camouflage the cell sites as is done in some of the advanced countries.