The State IT Department has initiated steps to prepare a telecom policy to provide facilitative support to the telecom industry in the State with the objectives of boosting up the telecom infrastructure and connectivity.
A high level meeting was held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi recently wherein Principal Secretary IT Pradeep Kumar Jena outlined the issues for deliberation.
Considering the proposed draft and existing regulations relating to telecom sector, Chief Secretary Padhi advised to regard telecom infrastructure as a utility service. Padhi further advised to charge rational and supportive premiums/rents to telecom companies who are coming forward to lay connectivity infrastructure in the districts, more particularly in remote unconnected areas. The Chief Secretary also directed that more than one company should share the same tower and minimize the land use.
Special Secretary IT Rudra Narayan Pallai made a power point presentation of the proposed draft. Available data show that in the meanwhile tele-density in Odisha has grown up to 69.38 per cent. It was decided in the meeting to boost it up to match the national standard of 79 per cent. The rural tele-density in the State is around 45 per cent.