The Tower and Infrastructure Providers Association (TAIPA) has reached out to the government seeking uninterrupted electricity supply and a 45-day grace period for bill payments amid nationwide lockdown due to outbreak of COVID-19.
In a letter to Power Secretary Sanjiv Nandan Sahai, TAIPA has requested that all the State governments and State electricity companies be advised to ensure 24x7 uninterrupted electricity supply for telecom tower operations.
“While the necessary support has been extended by the various State electricity distribution companies so far, we would further like to seek your support in ensuring uninterrupted EB supply for telecom towers, which is critical for continued operations of telecom services,” the industry body said in the letter.
TAIPA, whose members include all key players in the telecom infrastructure space such as Indus Towers Limited, ATC Group Companies, Bharti Infratel, GTL Infrastructure, Reliance Infratel, Tower Vision, Sterlite Technologies and Space Teleinfra, said that all State electricity distribution companies should give electricity connections on “priority” for telecom tower sites.
The industry body added that no penalty should be charged or coercive actions such as disconnection be taken on account of any delay in electricity bill payment of telecom towers. “Telecom infrastructure providers may also be granted at least 45 days of grace period for EB bill payments...In case of electricity failure at telecom tower sites, restoration of power is to be ensured on priority and on an immediate basis since back-ups like battery may take time due to movement restrictions,” it said.
T. R. Dua, director general, TAIPA, said, “Needless to mention, telecom towers are the backbone to ensure the availability of critical telecom services needed in this emergent situation arisen due to COVID-19 outbreak in the country...TAIPA requests for an urgent intervention and support from the Ministry of Power…”