Union Minister for Communications, Electronics & IT and Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday launched the ‘GatiShakti Sanchar’ portal, a centralised platform for clearing Right of Way (RoW) applications for telecom providers. It was developed by the MP state Electronics Development Corporation on behalf of Department of Telecom (DoT).
The new portal will enable a faster rollout of 5G networks by reducing the time taken to clear proposals by telecom companies. The GatiShakti Sanchar portal will provide a robust mechanism to achieve the goal of ‘Broadband for All’ as envisaged in the National Digital Communication Policy-2, said the Ministry of Communications in a press release.
As it smoothens the process of RoW permissions as well as faster approvals; it is believed to facilitate easy rollout of 5G services, in which a Base Transceiver Station (BTS) is installed at very short intervals, the statement added.
GatiShakti Sanchar Portal will enable applicants from Telecom Services Providers (TSPs), Infrastructure Providers (IPs), Internet Services Providers (ISPs) etc. to apply for RoW approvals for laying optical fiber cables and erecting telecom infrastructure like towers etc. to submit their applications to various state government agencies and local bodies.
The portal will improve ease of doing business for telecommunications infrastructure works. The timely disposal of RoW applications of various service and infrastructure providers shall enable speedy infrastructure creation which would be an enabler for timely rollout of 5G Network also, the telecom minister said.
National Broadband Mission (NBM) was set up by the Department of Telecommunication (DoT) on December 17, 2019; to facilitate universal and equitable access to broadband services across the country, especially in rural and remote areas
Vaishnaw further said that all 36 states and Union Territories will be on the portal by December.
