Archive · 13 Jun 2025
Building Digital Infrastructure: Who Pays?
Imagine your phone signal is weak inside buildings.
Trai wants to rate how good the internet and phone signal is in buildings.
But who pays for making the signal better?
Telecom companies think building owners should pay because it makes their buildings better.
Building owners disagree, saying the telecom companies should pay because they provide the service.
This is leading to arguments about who's responsible for the costs and how fast your internet should be.
The goal is to help you know how good the signal will be before you move in.
Telecom regulator Trai is developing a digital connectivity rating system for buildings.
Telcos and real estate developers disagree on who should pay for the rating and infrastructure.
Telcos want property managers to cover all costs; developers want the infrastructure providers to pay.
The ratings aim to improve in-building mobile and internet signal quality for consumers.
Disagreements extend to compliance responsibilities and download speed metrics.
- Who
- Telecom companies (COAI, Jio, Airtel, Vi) and real estate developers (APREA, Anarock, DLF).
- What
- Disagreement between telcos and developers on who should pay for building digital infrastructure ratings.
- When
- A new digital connectivity rating system is being developed by Trai.
- Where
- India
- Why
- To ensure strong indoor mobile and internet signals and improve consumer experience.
Telecom Operators
Real Estate Developers
Financial Responsibility and Compliance
Telecom Operators
Property managers should bear full cost and compliance burden.
Real Estate Developers
Real estate developers should not be responsible for documentation and compliance.
Download Speed Metrics
Telecom Operators
Maintain minimum download speed metrics (4G: 2 Mbps; 5G: 100 Mbps).
Real Estate Developers
Modify speed metrics.
Public Wi-Fi
Telecom Operators
Remove public Wi-Fi from rating criteria or reduce its weightage.
Real Estate Developers
Continue including public Wi-Fi in rating criteria.
- Regulator
- Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai)
- COAI Members
- Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea
- APREA Members
- Anarock, Brookfield, DLF
- Rating Focus
- Indoor mobile and internet signal strength
- Proposed Download Speed
- 10 Mbps for 4G, 100 Mbps for 5G