Summary:
The Department of Telecommunications has instructed Noida International Airport to allow telecom operators to install their own network infrastructure, aiming to prevent issues similar to those faced at Navi Mumbai International Airport, where restrictions forced operators to rely on third-party systems and compromised service quality. Ahead of Noida airport’s launch, the DoT clarified to Yamuna International Airport Pvt Ltd that the airport qualifies as a public entity under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, and must comply with the obligations set out in the law.
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has directed Noida International Airport to permit telecom service providers to establish their own network infrastructure. A similar dispute had earlier arisen between telecom companies and Navi Mumbai International Airport over the same matter. The new Mumbai airport had prevented operators from installing their infrastructure, effectively turning the location into a no-network zone for them. Instead, telecom companies were required to depend on infrastructure set up by a third party and deliver services through it. This arrangement did not meet the operators’ standards for service quality and control.
In light of the upcoming launch of the airport, the DoT has instructed the Noida airport authorities to avoid a comparable situation. The department stated that Noida airport is classified as a public entity under the Telecommunications Act, 2023.
In a communication addressed to the CEO of Yamuna International Airport Pvt Ltd, the DoT clarified, “It is clarified, in terms of the Telecommunications Act, 2023, Noida International Airport qualifies as a ‘public entity’ for the purposes of the said Act and the rules framed thereunder. Accordingly, the obligations and responsibilities prescribed for the public entities under the Act are applicable.”
