The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) has approved the policy for granting licence to various service providers for setting up of mobile towers on wheels in its jurisdiction.
Under this policy any new or existing telecom company with valid license from the department of telecommunication (Government of India can apply for the license for setting up of ‘Cell on Wheels’ (COW) on monthly rental charges basis.
With the move, the corporation will boost up revenue and will also facilitate better mobile connectivity to users. According to the policy, there will be one-time non-refundable administrative charges to tune of Rs 10000/- per COW.
A senior SDMC official said that the monthly rental charges will be Rs 339 per square ft per month.
“It has been decided that the maximum duration for setting up of COW will be three years and minimum duration of which will be three months. The service providers have to pay the monthly rental charges according to the land allotted for the purpose,” he added.
DMC Commissioner Gyanesh Bharti said under this policy, existing COWs have the 30 days time to get it regularized, for which they have to pay the arrears from the date of their existence with penalty as 25 per cent over and above monthly rental charges.
He further said that if COW is found installed without permission after 30 days of the policy, then it will be regularized only after the payment of penalty @ 50 per cent over and above the monthly rental charges.
The rental charges as well as the penalty will be charged on monthly basis.
“To prove the existence of the COW, Telecom Company will have to submit an affidavit alongwith other requisite documents,” he said, adding that SDMC shall allot a maximum area up to 50 sqm per COW with maximum width up to 8 meter (including space required for anchor wires etc.).
The Commissioner said that this policy will certainly lead to the additional revenue as well as will help in regularization of illegal towers.
“The maximum height of any structural element installed with COW will be up to 30 meters above the ground level at any location. COW is a temporary structure and can be installed at public places, markets, parks, roadsides, parking areas and open spaces,” he added.
Bharti said that the service providers want to install mobile towers for better connectivity, but there is refusal from the citizens to install on roof/terrace of their houses.
“In that case, mobile operators placed illegal towers on roadsides and other green areas. This policy will provide a platform to the service providers where they can get license easily and within stipulated time frame,” he said.
The Cell on Wheels (COW) is a portable base station used to provide temporary cellular network coverage.