New Delhi [India], December 31 : The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has written to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), seeking urgent intervention against Navi Mumbai International Airport Limited (NMIAL) for alleged denial of Right of Way (RoW) permissions and imposition of exclusive in-building telecom arrangements at the newly developed Navi Mumbai International Airport.
In a letter addressed to the DoT Secretary and Chairman of the Digital Communications Commission, Neeraj Mittal, COAI stated that NMIAL qualifies as a "public entity" under the Telecommunications Act, 2023 and the Telecommunications (Right of Way) Rules, 2024, and is therefore statutorily obligated to grant RoW permissions in a non-discriminatory and time-bound manner for installation of telecom infrastructure.
COAI, in its letter to Do,T noted that its member telecom service providers, including Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea, had approached NMIAL for permission to deploy their own telecom networks, including in-building solutions (IBS), to provide seamless 4G and 5G connectivity within the airport premises. However, NMIAL has allegedly declined to grant such permissions.
Instead, the airport operator has reportedly directed telecom service providers to mandatorily use a network deployed by NMIAL itself, at an exorbitant and commercially unviable charges. According to COAI, NMIAL has sought payments of approximately Rs 92 lakh per month per operator, aggregating to nearly Rs 44 crore annually for four operators. COAI argued that these charges are grossly disproportionate and far exceed the capital expenditure typically required for deploying an independent IBS network.
The association further contended that such charges are not permissible under the RoW Rules, which restrict levies strictly to administrative and restoration costs. COAI also stated that NMIAL holds a Category-B Virtual Network Operator (VNO) licence for access services and has allegedly conferred upon itself exclusive RoW rights under the guise of being a neutral host.
According to COAI, the telecom regulatory framework does not permit grant of exclusive Right of Way or the creation of monopolistic arrangements for building telecom networks. The association warned that such exclusivity forecloses competition, undermines consumer choice, and compromises regulatory neutrality by compelling licensed operators to operate through a single entity at what it termed extortionary rates.
COAI also expressed concern over public statements made by NMIAL attributing the lack of mobile connectivity at the airport to telecom operators. The association said these claims are misleading, as network deployment is pending solely due to non-grant of statutory RoW permissions by the airport operator.
The industry body has urged the DoT to direct NMIAL to grant RoW permissions to licensed telecom operators in accordance with the law, examine alleged licence violations by NMIAL as a VNO, and restrain the airport operator from making what it termed false or misleading allegations against telecom service providers.
COAI said timely intervention by the DoT is critical to ensure adherence to the statutory RoW framework, preserve competitive neutrality, and prevent inconvenience to passengers using the airport facilities.
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