Captive network a back-door entry to BigTech companies, says COAI

The Cellular Operators’ Association of India (COAI) has asked the government to relook at captive non-public network guidelines to provide a level-playing field between telecom companies and enterprises. 

“Private networks at different locations under one licence by taking leased line connectivity to connect multiple locations should not be permitted. Cloud connectivity should be specifically barred,” COAI director general SP Kochhar said in a letter to the department of telecommunications (DoT) on Thursday. 

The issue of private networks has pitted COAI members such as Airtel, Vodafone Idea and Reliance Jio with the Broadband India Forum.

In its guidelines on captive non-public networks, the government has allowed direct allotment of spectrum to enterprises.