Tower Cos Brought Under Regulatory Net Tower providers will be considered licensees under right-of-way rules The telecom department has clarified that tower providers will be considered as licensees under rightof-way rules, addressing a major demand of the industry that had been kept out of the purview of these rules so far. The industry welcomed the move, which it said would help infrastructure providers to set up the base for future technologies including 5G. The right-of-way rules allow online filing of applications in a bid to ease the pain that the sector faces in building infrastructure. They are expected to help companies get land from state governments and local bodies within a stipulated timeframe, with standard procedures set for telecom companies and government authorities to follow. The Department of Telecommunications had issued rules on setting up of telecom towers and laying of cables in November 2016, providing a framework for granting approvals and settling d...