Mobile phone services could face disruptions as key infra clearances stuck

Consumers could soon face disruptions in mobile services due to a huge backlog of uncleared applications for a key clearance required by telcos for setting up new mobile network infrastructure.

Approvals of the Standing Advisory Committee on Radio Frequency Allocation (SACFA) are held up for over 30,000-odd telco applications, especially for setting up mobile towers near private airports across India.

Every telco requires a SACFA approval on the height and location of any tower it plans to install anywhere.

A sizable chunk of approvals under the SACFA clearance process come from the Airports Authority of India (AAI). But since private airports are outside the latter’s jurisdiction, the approvals process for setting up telecom towers has sharply slowed down, top industry executives said.

Telcos have sought the immediate intervention of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the civil aviation ministry to avoid a potential disruption of mobile broadband services, especially amid a surge in home internet and video services consumption with many mobile users still working from home, post-pandemic.

“There are thousands of uncleared SACFA applications as many private airports overseen by the non-AAI entities are sitting on key approvals linked to the clearance process, which is why, telcos have been unable to set up critical mobile network infrastructure in many locations across the country for months on end,” a senior industry executive told ET.

He added that it’s critical that all involved government agencies improve inter-ministerial coordination and also push these non-AAI entities operating a multitude of private airports to ensure faster SACFA approvals for telcos. Protracted delays, he said, could undermine 4G network rollouts/expansions and inconvenience consumers.

Matters have come to a head as Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio continue to grow their 4G user base and overall mobile data consumption too is slated to jump by 30-40% throughout FY21 amid the continuing pandemic.

The DoT’s wireless planning cell, the AAI and the office of the Joint Communications & Electronic Staff (JCES) in the defence ministry have key representatives on the SACFA panel who are involved in the clearance process. But, this time round, the AAI has been unable to resolve matters as private airports are outside its ambit.

Queries to Airtel, Jio and Vodafone Idea (Vi) remained unanswered as of press time. The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), which represents Airtel, Jio and Vi, was also not immediately available for comments on the matter.