TRAI Refers Navi Mumbai Airport Telecom Dispute to DoT, State Authorities

• TRAI has shifted the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIAL) telecom dispute to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and state authorities for Right of Way (RoW) issues.
• The regulator is examining pricing issues flagged by private telecom operators, seeking details from COAI on past agreements for similar facilities.
• Telecom service providers (Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, Vodafone Idea) allege NMIAL denied RoW and network deployment, leading to poor mobile connectivity.
• NMIAL denies allegations, stating IBS infrastructure was installed after discussions and BSNL is testing the system, offering services at industry-aligned rates.
• TRAI chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti confirmed the regulator can act suo motu on pricing, while RoW disputes fall under DoT's administrative domain.

Why It Matters: TRAI is mediating the Navi Mumbai airport telecom dispute, focusing on pricing while deferring RoW to DoT.