Expecting telcos to pay for access to residential buildings “wrong” mindset: TRAI Secretary

Minimum standards need to be developed for provision of telecom services within buildings and residential complexes and the “wrong” mindset that telcos should pay to get access for laying down infrastructure in housing complexes must change, a senior TRAI official said. The growth of telecommunications, the underlying ‘critical infrastructure’, is closely linked to growth of every sector and the economy as a whole, TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) Secretary, SK Gupta said.

“Different type of builders, their associations and RWAs (Resident Welfare Associations) have to be taught about the importance of telecom and (need to be) convinced that they have to change their mindset of penalising telecom service providers by asking (for) money from them to provide the services – in fact it is you (building residents) who requires the services, not telecom service providers,” Gupta said.