Call drops: Telcos commit ₹20,000 cr for new towers
Grappling to overcome call drops, telecom operators on Monday committed to install 100,000 towers within a year at an investment of ₹20,000 crore.
“Operators have installed 48,000 towers in the last 45 days, out of 60,000 towers they promised to install in 100 days,” telecom minister Manoj Sinha said after a meeting with operators. ”
Bharti Airtel chief (India and South Asia) Gopal Vittal, Vodafone India head Sunil Sood, Idea Cellular CEO Himanshu Kapania, Reliance Jio MD Sanjay Mashruwala and Telenor CEO Sharad Mehrotra were among those present at the meeting. Besides call drops, the focus was on providing mobile and broadband connectivity as a part of the Digital India initiative, and on affordability and service quality.
This was the second meeting between the government and operators on the call drop issue. At the first meeting with telecom secretary JS Deepak in June, the 100-day plan was chalked out.
“The call drop issue was just a part of a larger discussion, taking forwards the discussion from five weeks ago with telecom secretary JS Deepak,” an executive with one of the top three telcos said .
Sinha agreed to help telcos open up assets with the Department of Posts and Telegraph to be able to set up new towers. “The meeting was very encouraging,” said Rajan Mathews, directorgeneral, COAI.
On Digital India, the minister asked operators to update on providing connectivity in villages as a part of the National Optic Fibre Network, which hopes to connect 250,000 gram panchayats by 2030. “He also discussed smart cities,” a source said.