The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has raised its concerns with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) regarding the Adani Group-owned Navi Mumbai International Airport Ltd (NMIAL). COAI alleges that NMIAL has denied Right of Way (RoW) permits and imposed high charges for the deployment of telecom infrastructure at the airport, which began commercial operations on December 25.

COAI has sought the DoT’s intervention to ensure compliance with statutory frameworks and prevent what it describes as monopolistic practices by NMIAL. The association claims that NMIAL is not complying with telecom regulations, while the airport operator maintains that it is acting within industry standards.

Representing major telecom service providers including Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio Infocomm and Vodafone Idea, COAI said its members were seeking approvals to deploy their own internal networks and solutions (IBS) to provide seamless 4G and 5G coverage at the airport. COAI claimed that NMIAL refused to grant necessary permissions, which it said prevents independent deployment of telecom infrastructure.

COAI further alleged that NMIAL has forced operators to use its installed network at high charges. The association stated that NMIAL is demanding payments of around Rs 92 lakh per month per operator, which adds up to nearly Rs 44.16 crore annually for four operators. COAI argued that these charges are significantly higher than those for stand-alone grid deployment and include components beyond what the RoW rules allow, which limit charges to administrative overhead and restoration costs.

COAI accused NMIAL of holding a VNO Cat-B license for access services and said it had conferred exclusive RoW rights under the guise of being a neutral host. The association said such an arrangement is not permitted under the telecommunications regulatory framework, including the Telecommunications Act 2023 and applicable conditions of authorisation.

COAI asked the DoT to look into and take appropriate action against NMIAL as a UL-VNO licensee for conferring exclusive RoW to construct IBS, violating the license terms and creating an impermissible monopolistic arrangement. The association also urged DoT to direct NMIAL to stop making misleading allegations against licensed telecom service providers about network coverage, stating that connectivity gaps are a result of NMIAL’s actions.

In response, Navi Mumbai International Airport said its decision to install advanced IBS infrastructure as a neutral host followed discussions with individual telecom service providers. NMIA stated that it provided network access at rates aligned with industry standards and denied any denial of RoW permits. He added that he had been regularly communicating and offering IBS services to these charges, to which the telecom providers have yet to respond.

NMIA explained that due to delays from other operators, it is currently providing free high-speed Wi-Fi to passengers and reiterated its commitment to connectivity. The operator said it is following up with telecom providers to conclude talks and holds a mutual agreement on tariffs, rejecting any cartelization.

The airport operator justified its approach by citing security and operational efficiency, stating that network management is best handled by the airport operator with the relevant security clearance. NMIA also pointed out that areas such as baggage belts and utility buildings could be neglected by telecoms providers by focusing only on high-passenger areas, leading to inconvenience and inefficiency if left to them alone.