State makes inbuilt telecom infrastructure mandatory for new buildings

Maharashtra mandates telecom infrastructure in all new buildings for improved digital connectivity, requiring a telecom room and wiring system.

Mumbai: The state government has made it mandatory for all new buildings in the state to have a common telecommunication infrastructure including a telecom room and an established wiring system that tenants and owners can use for their digital needs. Municipal corporations and town planners must now incorporate a provision for the telecom infrastructure in building plans.

State makes inbuilt telecom infrastructure mandatory for new buildings

Among other provisions, all new buildings must have a common duct which will access the building’s telecom room. The state government has also made it mandatory that the occupancy certificate or building completion certificate will not be issued by the local bodies if the telecom infrastructure was not in place.

An urban development department official said that the aim of such infrastructure is to create an ecosystem for digital connectivity making it an essential part of building development. Through this, internet services will become as accessible as water, electricity or fire safety systems in buildings.

In August 2022, the Department of Telecommunication (DoT) had requested the state government to include an addendum into the Model Building Bye-Laws 2016 issued by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) into the State Building By-Law. The state government accepted the request and the state urban development department amended the United Development Control and Promotion Regulations (UDCPR), issuing a notification on September 4 that brought the new provision into effect.

The notice adds, “The system should not be susceptible to flooding; should not be exposed to water, moisture, fumes, gases or dust; should be able to withstand designed equipment load (to be specified in design) and should be located away from any vibrations to avoid dislocation/dislodgement.”

The notification also said that developers and town planners, while submitting building plan proposals for approval, must submit a detailed service plan for the new telecommunication infrastructure. The service plan should be made after consulting a telecom networking hardware-consultant, and should also be certified by a credible telecom consultant.

The notice adds that telecom cables should ideally be placed below the parking area or service lane, which may be dug up easily without causing major inconvenience. “Where this is not possible, the cables may be placed at the outer edge of the right side of the way,” it elaborated.

The government has further allowed the DoT or the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) officials along with telecom service providers to inspect the building plans and suggest relevant modifications if required by the planning authorities.

Urban planner and director of the Urban Centre in Mumbai, Pankaj Joshi praised the decision saying, “It is really a good decision and needs to be replicated in the Development Control and Promotion Regulations (DCPR) for Mumbai.”

Joshi said that the government should direct the local bodies to also lay down a network of high-speed fibre-optic cables following the new decision. The ‘Fibre to the Curb’ (FTTC) and the ‘Fibre to the Home’ (FTTH) technology will help enhance digital connectivity. “It will help multiple vendors connect with higher throughput (rate at which data is processed) as well as create a competitive environment for the sector, a common practice in the developed countries,” said Joshi.

Joshi added, “This will prevent buildings from having wires hanging around them, digging of footpaths every third day, and can be an additional source of revenue for local authorities because they can levy the wheeling charges.”