COAI & Telecom Service Providers Oppose MMRC’s Arbitrary Vendor-Driven Model for Mobile Services on Metro Line 3

Lt. Gen. Dr. S.P. Kochhar, Director General, COAI

The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), representing India’s leading telecom service providers – Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea – has strongly opposed the illegal and anti-consumer model adopted by Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) for provisioning telecom infrastructure on Metro Line 3 (Colaba–Bandra–Aarey corridor).

At the core of this issue is MMRC’s decision to award telecom infrastructure deployment to a third-party IP-I vendor, in violation of existing regulations. Under the current telecom licensing framework, IP-I providers are prohibited from deploying active infrastructure. This move not only breaches the Telecommunication Act, 2023, but also sidelines licensed Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) who are legally authorized and technically equipped to independently deploy mobile networks. Deploying of such network(s) are a norm, even in important places like the PWD tunnel in Pragati Maidan or the Central Vista wherein the TSPs are laying infrastructure without paying any cost to anyone (including any third party).

All three TSPs had jointly proposed to install a common In-Building Solution (IBS) network across the metro corridor at their own cost, ensuring seamless and uninterrupted connectivity for commuters — without any financial burden on MMRC.

Despite this, MMRC arbitrarily rejected their request for Right of Way (RoW) permissions, citing the selection of a vendor through its internal tender process. This decision prioritizes commercial gains over public convenience and stands in blatant violation of the Telecommunication Act, 2023, which guarantees fair, non-discriminatory access to public infrastructure for licensed TSPs.

Key Concerns Raised by COAI and TSPs:

• The MMRC’s chosen model is in violation of the RoW provisions in the Telecommunication Act, which mandate access to public infrastructure (such as metro stations) for licensed operators.
• IP-I providers lack the legal authority to install active telecom infrastructure. Forcing TSPs to work through them is both illegal and exploitative.
• Contrary to some media reports, no member TSP of COAI has signed any agreement with MMRC’s vendor. Any claims suggesting otherwise are factually incorrect.
• MMRC’s insistence on a vendor-driven model amounts to an anti-competitive practice, leveraging its monopoly over metro premises to extract unjustified commercial returns.
• TSPs do not generate revenue from IBS infrastructure but are still willing to install it on their own cost, solely in the public interest.
• MMRC stands to benefit from enhanced mobile coverage at no cost, yet it chooses to obstruct the process for commercial gain.

COAI reiterates that TSPs are ready and willing to deploy a robust, secure and unified telecom network across all stations on Metro Line 3 — independently, and in full compliance with regulatory norms.

COAI urges MMRC to immediately reconsider its current stance and uphold the principles of fair access, consumer convenience and lawful telecom infrastructure deployment.