SDMC reduces mobile tower installation rate after HC's directions

New Delhi: After the Delhi High Court heard a petition from the Cellular Operators Association and the Telecom and Infrastructure Provider Association against the South Delhi Municipal Corporation's fee hike for installation of cellular towers in their jurisdiction, the civic body has now announced that they are

reducing the rate now from Rs 5 lakh for 5 years to Rs 3 lakh for 5 years.

The SDMC had earlier announced the fee for installing the tower at Rs 10,000 a month or Rs 1 lakh per annum. In addition to this, the civic agency had placed a 25 per cent extra fee per sharing in case the towers are being shared.

The SDMC said that the reduced rates were a result of deliberations with the concerned associations after the high court's orders.

"Cellular operators/telecom service providers will have to pay a fee of Rs 3 lakh for 5 years for Roof Top Towers, Ground-Based Towers & Ground-Based Mast irrespective of sharing," the SDMC said in a statement. For upto 12-metre-high pole sites, a fee of Rs 25,000 has been fixed per operator for a period of 5 years. In case the height exceeds 12 metres, the operator will have to pay a fixed fee for installing the mobile towers. While the earlier rates meant Rs 10,000 per month for the mobile towers, the reduced rates essentially mean that the monthly cost had been cut to Rs 5,000.