"Similar to roads, digital infrastructure must also be protected"

Dharmender Khajuria, Head - Network Partnerships, Bharti Airtel, brings over 24 years of experience in consumer durables and telecom, spanning diverse geographic and multicultural settings. His leadership roles have included COO positions in J&K, UP West, Uttarakhand, and CEO roles in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. With extensive expertise in sales, distribution, marketing, and operations management, he has held full P&L responsibility. In this conversation with Shubhendu Parth, he discusses the challenges faced by telecom service providers in network expansion and fibreisation, the ROW issue, and ongoing efforts in collaboration and green initiatives. Excerpts:

- Shubhendu Parth

The rollout of 5G requires significant network infrastructure upgrades. What are the key technological and policy considerations for Indian telcos in building a robust network infrastructure?

Rather than focusing solely on Indian telcos, let us look at the global scenario. Whenever there is a technological shift, whether moving from 3G to 4G, 4G to 5G, or even in the future, from 5G to 6G, the first consideration is upgrading the infrastructure. Moving from 4G to 5G, for example, requires significant upgrades not only to the infrastructure but also in terms of spectrum management. Having sufficient spectrum and managing it efficiently is critical because new technologies depend on specific spectrum frequencies.

Another crucial aspect for telcos globally is the development of use cases. The question is, how do we monetise these new technologies? What use cases will add value for consumers and businesses, thereby justifying the investment in the network? This is essential from a technology perspective.

From a policy perspective, we are fortunate to be in an era where many things have changed over the past few years. The new Telecom Bill has been introduced, although we await the accompanying rules. The Right of Way (ROW) policies, initially announced in 2016, have seen amendments in 2022 and further updated in 2023. These policies are helping telcos by making it easier to roll out nationwide networks. Many state governments also encourage telcos to deploy fibre, 5G networks, and small cells, further supporting this growth.

A strong fibre backhaul is essential for 5G performance. What challenges do Indian telecom operators face in fibre deployment, and how can these be overcome to ensure a successful 5G rollout?