For Aqua Line, can’t arbitrarily provide license to one telco: MMRC

The metro rail authority has instead asked 3 companies to participate in the ongoing bidding process to select a neutral cellular operator for the fully-underground metro line

Mumbai: The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) has refused a request from three telecom companies to “arbitrarily” hand over the mobile connectivity infrastructure on the 33.5-km Metro 3 corridor, also known as the Aqua Line, to one of the firms. The metro rail authority has instead asked the companies to participate in the ongoing bidding process to select a neutral cellular operator for the fully-underground metro line.

MMRC terminated its contract with ACES India, the firm which had installed and operated infrastructure for mobile connectivity on the Aqua Line, as it could not meet the key requirement of on-boarding at least three telecom service providers (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT Photo)

As reported by HT on March 20, earlier in the month, MMRC terminated its contract with ACES India, the firm which had installed and operated infrastructure for mobile connectivity on the Aqua Line, as it could not meet the key requirement of on-boarding at least three telecom service providers. Only Vodafone Idea and BSNL had signed up to provide connectivity for certain portions along the route.

The MMRC subsequently floated a fresh bid seeking a neutral service provider to manage and operate the infrastructure installed by ACES, officials said. On March 23, Reliance Jio Infocomm, Vodafone Idea and Airtel jointly wrote to the authority’s managing director Ashwini Bhide, requesting her to scrap the fresh bid and instead appoint Reliance Jio Infocomm as the service provider by handing over the infrastructure.

In response, the MMRC said that it could permit only one in-building solutions (IBS) firm that would facilitate connectivity for all existing and future telecom service providers along the route. Since India had multiple telecom service providers and IBS companies, the MMRCL could not favour Reliance Jio Infocomm or any single provider, the letter from MMRC to Reliance Jio Infocomm said.

In case Reliance Jio Infocomm or any other telecom service provider wants to hold the license to provide shared cellular coverage, they should participate in the ongoing bidding process which closes next Monday. “This entity shall be the single neutral service provider to all the telecom service providers without any discrimination,” MMRC’s letter said.

Reliance Jio Infocomm did not respond to requests for comment from HT.