The Digital Infrastructure Providers Association (DIPA), which represents companies such as Sterlite Technologies Limited (STL), Indus Towers, American Tower Company, and more, is happy with the Rajasthan government for the constitution of the task force under the chairmanship of the principal secretary, urban development for the use of street furniture/govt infrastructure for the rolling out of 5G networks in the state. Rajasthan is not the first state to do so. Punjab and Kerala have done the same as well. Mr T.R. Dua, Director General, DIPA, said that they are thankful to the government of Rajasthan for the constitution of this task force. Dua said that this move would have a critical role in achieving the National Broadband Mission targets and faster telecom rollout in the state.
Small Cells to Play a Vital Role With 5G
Small cells deployed on street furniture are going to play a major role in the rollout of 5G across India. The state governments, as well as the municipal committees, will have to align their interests with that of the central government’s National Broadband Mission to ensure that a faster rollout of networks can be ensured. 5G airwaves would operate at higher frequencies, and with the current infrastructure, it would be impossible for the telcos to give a strong coverage experience to the users. Small cells will ensure that the network signal strength reaching users is strong and enhances the 5G experience for them. One of the biggest challenges for the telcos to deploy small cells is high RoW (right of way) charges in many states. High RoW charges don’t just affect the telcos but also the people living in the state; as for them, the new generation network rollout will be slower than in the other parts of India. But many state govenments are currently reworking on their RoW policies to ensure that the telcos’ interest rises in deploying 5G in their state.
