TRAI starts work on proof of concept for RoW policy

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has launched a pilot project in Deoghar in Jharkhand as a proof of concept for a common duct policy. The policy aims to reduce operational costs, eliminate Right of Way (RoW ) issues and cut down on the disruption caused by the frequent digging up of roads for fibre installation. The Hindu quotes TRAI chairman RS Sharma as saying: ‘We are talking about a common duct for all. Any service provider who enters a city digs up the city … [Instead] we can make a common duct, and whichever entity wants to offer services can use that duct to pass their fibre.’ Once the pilot in Deoghar has been completed, the TRAI will ‘come to a conclusion on whether such a proposal is replicable in other larger and smaller cities,’ Mr Sharma added. The official went on to say that the success of the tower sharing policy had proved that common shared infrastructure is effective, dispelling the ‘myth’ that service providers needed to own their entire network.