Fretting over bad network? Here is some fresh hope for south Delhi

NEW DELHI:

Mobile tower installation

is expected to

speed up

in key areas of the city as

South Delhi Municipal Corporation

has decided to slash the rates by 40%.

According to the newly notified rates, cellular operators and telecom service providers will need to pay a fee of Rs 3 lakh for five years for rooftop as well as ground-based towers. Earlier, the rates for five years were Rs 5 lakh per site. For poles less than 12 metres high, a fee of Rs 25,000 has been fixed per operator for a period of five years. The Cellular Operators Association had moved the Delhi high court against the earlier fee hike.

An SDMC spokesperson stated that the civic body had earlier approved a proposal of fixing the fee at Rs 1 lakh per annum. The agency had also fixed a 25% extra amount per site for sharing of towers. "The cellular operators and telecom service providers were supposed to pay a minimum fee of Rs 5 lakh for five years. The Cellular Operators Association and the Telecom and Infrastructure Provider Association moved the Delhi High Court against the fee hike. After the court's direction, the municipal corporation, the Cellular Operators Association and the Telecom and Infrastructure Provider Association have fixed the new fee through intervention (sic)," the civic body stated in an official statement.

The spokesperson said that the move was likely to improve facilities for citizens by strengthening the mobile network and related infrastructure.

Cellular operators will now have to pay Rs 3 lakh per site for five years, which translates into a monthly fee of Rs 5,000. "Though the move will reduce the corporation's revenue to an extent, it will help in strengthenin the mobile network," the spokesperson said.

However, the civic body has clarified that in case of towers/poles that were installed without permission before January 5, 2021, the permission fee would be charged as per the previous applicable rates. "Telecom service providers will have to pay a one-time fee of Rs 10,000 for every application to meet administrative expenses. The permission fee can be reviewed after five years," the SDMC official stated.