In a letter to Centre, TAIPA urges enabling active infrastructure sharing

CHENNAI: The Tower and Infrastructure Providers Association (TAIPA), a representative body for the telecom tower sector, has urged the telecom department to implement the recommendations of the Digital Communications Commission (DCC) regarding sharing of active infrastructure.  

Laid out in the National Digital Communication Policy (NDCP), 2018, the DCC had suggested enhancing the scope of Infrastructure Provider (IP-I) registration. 

“The telecom sector requires investments for the expeditious rollout of new technology. The sharing of active infrastructure by enhancement of scope of IP-I registration, without any licensing requirement, is one of the key policy provisions of NDCP 2018 which is awaiting implementation for more than 3 years now,” T R Dua, Director-General, Tower & Infrastructure Providers Association (TAIPA) said in a letter sent to telecom secretary Anshu Prakash.

The association also said that the deployment of common shareable passive, as well as active infrastructure, will lead to ready to utilise infrastructure while also attracting investments.

TAIPA represents companies such as Indus Towers, ATC, and Sterlite Technologies, among others.

It also pointed out that telecom operators may benefit from reduced Capex and Opex requirements.

“We humbly submit that the above crucial decision would provide the much needed impetus to achieve the targets enshrined in NDCP 2018 besides achieving the goal of $1 trillion from digital services by 2025,” Dua wrote.