Committe Report On BTS Towers

Confidential
Government of India Ministry of Communications & Information Technology Department of Telecommunications
REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENTAL COMMITTEE ON BTS TOWERS
_______________________________________________________________________________________________ ReportofDepartmentalCommittee 1
INDEX
S.No 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Committee details Terms of reference Proceedings General
Topic
Page no. 3 4 5 6-9 10-14 15-18 19-20 21-24 25-30 31-35
Guidelines for setting up of BTS towers Structural Safety for towers on roof top Location of Mobile Towers in Master Plan In-Building Solution of Telecom Network Recommendation Annexure-A & B
Committee
A departmental committee consisting of the following officers was constituted vide DoT letter No. 32-7/2010-EW dated 30.3.2012 to examine the issues relating to mobile base stations towers:
i) ii) iii) iv) v) vi)
Sh. Satya Pal Sh. Anil Kaushal * Sh. P.K. Panigrahi Sh. A. K. Mittal Sh. Ram Narayan Sh. G.P. Srivastava
Advisor (Operation) Sr. DDG,TEC Sr.DDG (BW), DoT Sr. DDG (AS) DDG (Security&TERM) DDG (CS), DoT DDG (R) TEC, DoT Dy. Wireless Adviser WPC, DoT
Chairman Member Member Secretary Member Member Member Member Member
vii) Sh. U.K. Srivastava viii) Sh. Gulab Chand
* Sh. U.K. Srivastava, DDG(R), TEC participated in place of Sh. Anil Kaushal, Sr. DDG, TEC.
Terms of Reference of the Committee
1.
Uniform guidelines on setting up of BTS Towers.
2.
Structural safety for towers on roof-tops.
3.
Identification of location for installation of mobile towers in master plan.
4.
In-building solutions for the future expansion of telecom network in the country.
Proceedings
Members of the committee deliberated on the issue on 18.4.2012 and 24.4.2012. Civil Society Members from Mumbai shared their view points with the committee members on 1.5.2012 on related issues i.e. restriction on setting up of BTS towers and reduction in RF radiated power from BTS antennas to 1/10th of the existing level i.e. from 20 watt per carrier to 2 watt per carrier. The Service Providers, Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), TAIPA and
representative of ASSOCHAM expressed their view points with the committee members on the issue on 2nd May 2012.
The representatives of Telecom Equipment Manufacturers and Antenna Manufacturers expressed their view points on tower installation, related issues and in-building solutions, for Radio frequency coverage in telecom networks with the committee members on 3.5.2012. Representatives from M/s. Alcatel, a telecom equipment manufacturer gave presentation to the committee members on low power Micro Cell, Pico Cell, Femto Cells and in-building solutions for telecom networks on 4.5.2012.
Chairman of the committee discussed the issues with BSNL/MTNL officers in Mumbai and Ahmedabad on 21st & 22nd May 2012. It was expressed that use of mobile handsets is the real concern and not the BTS as the handset is very closed to the human body and suggested that govt. should educate the public on its own expenses about the safe use of handsets.
General
The infrastructure used in the cellular communication network has both Active and Passive components. The passive infrastructure is the land, buildings, shelters, antenna systems, towers/masts, power supply and battery back-up etc. The active infrastructures are base station trans-receiving radios, popular names being BS (Base station), Node-B (in 3G networks) and e-Node B (in LTE standards ), Microwave radios for back-bone, backhaul, other RF / base band equipment and various switching and network control equipments etc. 2.0 The mobile communication networks use radio frequency propagation for
transmission of signals. These radio frequencies are electromagnetic waves. The frequency bands of these waves fall under the category of non-ionizing radiation, which does not disturb the cell structure of the human body. However, in order to keep the human exposure to these radiations within limits, the International standards organizations have developed certain limits. These limits have also been adopted in India. The limits take care of the radiations taking place in all the bands used by telecom service providers. These limits take into account adequate factor of safety for all population. 3.0 An Inter Ministerial Committee consisting of officers from DoT, ICMR,
Ministry Environment & Forests and Dept. of Bio-technology was constituted to look into the effects of EMF radiation from mobile base stations and mobile handsets on health. The acceptance of the recommendations of the Committee was communicated vide DoT OM 32-7/2010-EW dated 17th Nov. 2011 and necessary directives for revised exposure limit of base station emission level to 1/10th of the existing level and SAR of mobile hand-set of 1.6 watt per kg effective from 1.9.2012 was issued by the AS and IP Units of DoT respectively. 4.0 The inter-ministerial committee in its report had recommended formulation
of uniform guidelines at national level, enforcing restrictions for setting up of BTS towers, creation of appropriate frame work for structural safety clearance of towers set up on roof-top, identification of location for installation of mobile towers in master plan of town and cities in consultation with Ministry of Urban Development and induction of new technology low power transmitters with in-building solutions for future expansion of telecom network in the country.
5.0
As per the existing policy Wireless Planning & Coordination Wing of DoT
issues siting clearance for installation of mobile towers for each and every site from the point of view of interference with other wireless operators, aviation hazard and obstruction to any other existing microwave links. The siting clearance is issued without prejudice to applicable bye-laws, rules and regulations of local bodies such as Municipal Corporations/Gram Panchayat etc. Before installation of mobile towers the telecom service providers are required to obtain necessary permission from local bodies. 6.0 The base stations, the transmission towers and their antennas provide the
link to and from mobile phones and fall in the category of life-line buildings. The towers/antennas are located in sites based on the radio propagation characteristics in the network and are spread over in all areas, lease rented buildings. The buildings over which the towers are erected are generally not analyzed for the associated risk of earthquake and appropriate retrofit measures from structural safety point of view is required to be taken. Such an analysis is necessary to ensure compliance with the relevant BIS provisions. 7.0 In Orissa Super Cyclone and Bhuj Earthquake there was large scale damage BIS
to property and essential services including telecommunication. The latter added to the problem of overall disaster management including search and rescue. subsequently revised the code for earthquake resistance design of structures (IS 1893) identifying revised seismic zone with additional earthquake resistance features. Cellular mobile BTS infrastructure falls under the category of life line installation and as such compliance to relevant revised BIS provisions in the respective areas is necessary so as to effectively respond to any severe disaster situations. The life-line installation category should facilitate priority in land allocation, power connections, and maintenance of service etc. 8.0 At present there is no uniform policy guidelines for location of towers. This IMC
has resulted in unregulated telecom BTS cellular infrastructure in country.
desired that there is a need to Identify/ earmark some areas in the master plan in the new cities for cellular towers. This will, however, not be the ultimate solution as
the siting of tower shall be as per the WPC clearance and radio frequency coverage requirements. 9.0 At present the RF power radiated from BTS antenna is 20 watt per carrier.
In a shared BTS site, with multiple operators, the radiated power from a single tower goes as high as 100 -150 watt per sector. In certain cases, the high-powered towers can be avoided with the introduction of Energy efficiency analysis process for installing large vs. small cells i.e. low power Micro Cell, Pico Cell, Femto Cells and other in-building solutions in telecom networks.
Guidelines for setting up of BTS towers
Telecom infrastructure falls in the category of lifeline installations and BTS tower is a critical infrastructure for providing essential communication service. 2.0 As per the Present Procedure, the Siting clearances for installation of BTS
towers are issued by SACFA (Standing Advisory Committee on Frequency Allocation), WPC, DOT. SACFA clearances are issued after getting 'no objection' from various SACFA members (such as Airport Authority of India, JCES etc.) who carry out detailed technical evaluation including field surveys. The evaluation by SACFA members is done primarily for i) ii) iii) Aviation hazards. Obstruction to line of site of existing/planned networks Interference (Electro Magnetic Interference (EMI)/Electro Magnetic Compatibility (EMC)) to existing and proposed networks. The site location for tower installation is decided by the concerned service provider as per the technical and commercial requirements. 3.0 Siting clearances are issued without prejudice to other applicable byelaws, technical
rules and regulations of Local bodies such as Municipal Corporation, Gram Panchayats etc. Therefore, before installation of towers, Service Providers obtain necessary clearances from concerned local authorities/State Govt. bodies. This precondition is clearly laid down in SACFA siting clearances. 4.0 As stated above, before installation of towers the services providers are
required to obtain necessary clearances from the local authorities also. At present there is no restriction for location of the mobile BTS towers. In the absence of national guidelines, some state governments have issued their own guidelines. The Committee has noted that the local bye-laws issued by Delhi and West Bengal enforce certain precautionary measures while giving permission for installation of towers like avoid installation of base station antennas within the premises of schools and hospitals as children and patient are more susceptible to EMF radiation. Installation of base antennas in narrow lanes to reduce the risk caused by any
earthquake or wind related disaster. Base station antenna should be at least 3 mt. away from nearby building. Signboards and warning signs in base station antenna sites for identification. Towers in residential areas only in consultation with the concerned residents welfare association and so on. There are some other states like Tamilnadu and the state government and install the tower. 5.0 The local bye-laws in regard to setting up of cellular mobile base stations Karnataka where no
permission is required for erection of a tower. The infrastructure providers intimate
vary from state to state and there is no uniformity in the guidelines for grant of permission for installation of towers. In various states, the service providers face difficulties in obtaining the clearances. Further, for installation of mobile towers the telecom service providers are required to pay one-time fee to the local municipal authorities. Some states are charging the renewal fees also. The fee structure specified by the State/Local Authorities varies with the location of the installation and also from state to state. 6.0 The committee is of the view that formulation of uniform guidelines in the
matter for adoption of structural safety measures, fee structure, taxes, other charges and ROW etc. of cell site / base station at national level is very much necessary so that there will be uniformity in approach for grant of permission for installation of towers by the local bodies / state authorities. The idea is that the state government/ local bodies charge a simple administrative fees for such clearances. 7.0 The Committee observed that the antenna for Macro cells in a mobile
phone network have power outputs of 20 watts per carrier and are mounted on ground based masts, roof-top and other existing structures at a height 30-60 mt. that provides a clear view over the surrounding buildings to have a larger area coverage. Further, CMTS/UAS licenses provide mobile services that are The cellular towers are being governed under Indian Telegraph Act 1985.
installed to provide radio coverage in extending mobile phone services and the
Telecom Service Providers pay annual license fee to the Dept. of Telecom (Govt). As such the recurring fee levied by the state/local authorities is not appropriate. 8.0 The committee recommends to-consider imposing restrictions on
installation of BTS towers within the compound of schools and hospitals as the children and the patients may be more susceptible to the possible effects of electro-magnetic radiations. In-door building solution for low wattages may be deployed. 9.0 The committee also recommends the implementation of uniform
guidelines for installation of towers / antenna. 10.0 The committee is of the view that in order to have uniformity in approach
for installation of mobile BTS towers, DoT may issue a model draft guidelines for setting up BTS towers so that local authorities verify them and issue expeditious clearance for installation. Following uniform measures are recommended for inclusion in the draft guidelines for State/local municipality bye laws. i) Considering the importance of telecom services, the service
provider/infrastructure provider should have unrestricted right of way for installation of mobile tower, irrespective of land usage. ii) iii) Installation of base station antennas in narrow lanes may be avoided in order to reduce the risk caused by earthquake or wind related disaster. Installation of base station antennas within the premises of schools and hospitals may be avoided because children and patients may likely to be more susceptible to electro-magnetic fields. In-door building solution of low wattages may be deployed. iv) v) Base station antennas to be away from nearby buildings and above the ground and roof to ensure compliance to the prevailing radiation limits. Access to base station antenna site to be prohibited for general public by suitable means such as wire fencing, locking of the door to the roof, etc. vi) The access to tower site for the maintenance personnel also to be for a minimum period as far as possible.
vii)
Sign boards and warning signs (Danger RF Radiation, Restricted Area, Dont enter) are to be provided at base station antenna sites which are clearly visible and identifiable.
viii) ix) x)
Consent from the owner is required. Copy of the siting clearance granted by Dept. of Telecommunication to service providers Structural Stability Certificate from certified Structural Engineer or from recognized institute like IITs, NITs, CBRI Roorky and CBM, Faridabad or any of the recognized govt. institution. years. The Service 5 providers to file a fresh structural stability certificate after every
xi) xii)
No permission for installation of cell site / base station to be granted on buildings which are structurally unsafe. The provision of DG sets used for mobile towers shall be as per the provisions under Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and the Noise pollution (Regulation & Control) Rule 2000 as amended from time to time.
xiii) xiv) xv)
Design parameters / necessary drawings for installation. NOC from the concerned authority in case of CRZ area, heritage building, municipality lease-hold property and cess property The processing fee for grant of approval/renewal/sharing of mobile BTS towers if any levied by the state / local authorities should be restricted to administrative expenses if any as the service providers provide radio coverage in extending mobile phone services and other facilities that are governed under Indian Telegraph Act 1985 and pay annual licence fee to Dept. of Telecom.
xvi)
The permission of local authorities should be automatic, in case the other requirements mentioned above are met. However, if the local authority decides to have a prior approval system, then it needs to process the application within a period of 30 days from the date of submission, in a single window mechanism. The said application will be deemed to have been approved after the expiry of aforesaid 30 days, to facilitate faster roll out.
Structural Safety for Towers on roof top
The base stations, the transmission towers and their antennas provide the link to and from mobile phones and fall in the category of life-line buildings. Among others, the mobile towers are erected in areas spread all over towns and cities, in rented/leased lands/roof tops. The buildings over which the towers are erected are generally not analyzed for the associated risk of earthquake; and appropriate retrofit measures from structural safety point of view are also not taken which are necessary to ensure compliance with the relevant BIS provisions. 2.0 In the cases of natural disasters such as earthquakes etc. in the past, telecommunications. Therefore, it is to be ensured that
there were large scale damages to the property as well as essential services including telecommunication services are not disrupted during such events. towers are very crucial. 3.0 BIS Code for Earthquake Resistance Design of Structures (IS 1893) was With this
objective in view, the design, installation, maintenance and upkeep of cellular
revised identifying revised seismic zones with additional earthquake resistant features and accordingly the design, fabrication, material and erection of mobile towers are to be made so as to conform to latest BIS code applicable to the respective areas/zones. 4.0 In view of above, the Structural stability certificate should be from one of Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), Roorkee/its units. Rail India Technical and Economic Services Ltd. (RITES). National Council for Building Material, Faridabad/its units. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee. Respective State PWDs/CPWD Any qualified registered structural engineer
the following institutes:-
5.0
Advisory guidelines / norms pertaining to structural safety of ground-
based towers and of the Building/towers established on roof-top of buildings need to be formulated considering the following:a) The revised code now covers additional earthquake/cyclone resistant features. The design, fabrication, material and erection of mobile towers and the buildings should conform to relevant BIS provisions in the relevant areas. b) To undertake exercise of inspection of existing buildings / towers in Seismic Zones III, IV & V by structural engineers in order to ensure that these are compliant to revised BIS codes in the relevant areas and to take appropriate retrofitting measures wherever necessary. c) To ensure that the new construction in seismically vulnerable zones follow the norms laid down for safe construction in these areas as per relevant BIS standards. d) To use technology and network architecture that would minimize the number and size/weight of the BTS towers. e) To submit self certification for structural compliance in respect of existing/new towers to respective TERM Cell of DoT within specified time-limit in the prescribed proforma (annexed). f) Service providers / infrastructure providers to obtain requisite permission from the concerned local authority before installation of tower and submit a copy of the permission cell to respective TERM cell before made operational. g) All new towers and buildings shall comply with SAFETY PROVISIONS listed under Annexure A.
h)
The certificate furnished by the infrastructure provider shall also be acceptable. However, responsibility of compliance shall be with service provider.
i)
The TERM Cells of at their discretion may test up to 1-2% of towers and buildings randomly from IITs, NITs, CBRI Roorky and CBM, Faridabad or any of the recognized govt. institution. The sites against which there are public complaints shall also be tested by TERM Cell of DoT. service provider. The cost of the testing shall be borne by the
j)
If a tower/building fails to meet the criteria of relevant BIS provision specified, suitable penalty provision as per Telegraph Act may have to be specified.
k)
The details of towers and buildings be hosted on DoT website with status i.e. self-certified, TERM Cell certified/ not certified etc. Draft instructions to service providers on disaster resistance buildings
and towers for communication services has been prepared and placed at Annexure- A.
Location of Mobile Towers in Master Plan
At present there is no regulation on the location of the towers. One of the recommendations of the IMC was to identify the location for installation of mobile towers in the Master Plan of Towns and Cities in consultation with the Ministry of Urban Development. 2.0 The idea of identification of suitable areas may be aimed at identifying, in
advance, and thus providing for suitable space/area meant exclusively for the establishment of mobile services antenna farms; which in turn may help address various issues such as radiation health hazards, noise/air pollution, structural safety/natural disaster aspects and aesthetics/landscape etc. of the city/town. 3.0 However, the towers are placed at locations which are best suited to
service providers, technical and business requirements/network design e.g. distribution of towers for a network operating in 700 MHz band would differ from that from operating in other bands such as 1800 MHz, 450 MHs and 800/900 MHz etc. Installation of mobile towers depends on factors like coverage, population density, traffic etc. Micro management for identification of location in the master plan may not be feasible. 4.0 However, it may be considered to examine the feasibility of such a plan
as it would require good amount of spare land area at multiple places in a regular pattern which will be dedicated to the provision of mobile services antennae only and to earmark some areas in the master plan for cellular tower parks in consultation with Ministry of Urban Development.
In-Building Solution of Telecom Network
The mobile wireless technology relies upon an extensive network of fixed antennae. Each individual indoor premises. 2.0 The committee is of the view that high power BTSs may be suitable for service provider install single high power tower antenna and radiate RF power to cater large coverage area, both outdoor and
scattered and thinly populated rural/semi-urban areas but the high density urban areas can be well-served with multiple low power BTSs leading to better spectrum utilization i.e. same amount of spectrum can be utilized to provide connectivity to large number of people as well as associated RF health hazard issues (if any) are also addressed. However, the urban areas may be provided with better and ubiquitous mobile coverage if the traditional BTSs are augmented with various in building/micro/pico-cellular solutions. The high-powered towers can be avoided with the introduction of energy efficiency analysis process for installing large vs. small cells i.e. low power Micro Cell, Pico Cell, Femto Cells and other in-building BTS solutions in telecom networks. 3.0 By augmenting the mobile coverage through In-Building-Solutions,
standard cell-sizes can be maintained and issues relating to interference and reuse patterns etc. can be kept simplified. This will help improve spectrum utilization efficiency and increase battery life of the hand-sets. 4.0 In uncovered, isolated, scattered and small locations, the outdoor DAS
(Distributed Antenna Systems) concept can also be implemented independently. 5.0 At present, each individual operator install their own proprietary antenna
system within a building leading to large number of antenna for extending mobile services. With a neutral host antenna system, all TSPs can utilize the same powerful antenna system, eliminating the need for multiple unsightly antennas distributed across a building. DAS (Distributed Antenna Systems) protects the ambience and aesthetics of the property because multiple antennae/wiring projects are not required. Changing service providers does not lead to the
defacement of property because no change to the wiring is necessary. Service providers can simply plug-in and services are available immediately. 6.0 In all multiplex complexes, both residential and commercial, there should
be provisions of telecom chamber at the ground floor having optical fiber / copper cable / RF cable connectivity, to each and every flat and allow all the service providers to extend telecom related facility i.e. broad band, mobile, land lines and other services. 7.0 In cellular wireless network, such as GSM, the Pico cell base station is
typically a low cost, small, reasonably simple unit that connects to a base station. The Pico cell and Femto cell base stations typically cover a small area such as offices, schools, hospitals, malls, multiplexes etc.. These cells connect to the service providers network and allow to extend service coverage to indoor where outdoor signal do not reach well. These cells are available for most cellular technologies including GSM, CDMA, UMTS and LTE from manufacturers. Availability of uninterrupted power for the Pico and Femto cells in any case have to be ensured. 8.0 For making Provision of IBS, there can be several arrangements of
sharing the costs/business models as listed below: Carrier/operator pays (traditional model) Carrier bears cost of all equipment, cabling and installation Customers lock-in, through long term contract Increase in customer satisfaction
Enterprise (Buisiness House) pays Enterprise pays for all equipment, cabling and installation (carrier provides RF source) No long term commitment to any carrier This model generally requires support of at least 2 carriers on the system
Neutral Host i.e. Malls, Airports Bear the cost of CAPEX and project organization. Add technical value and remove all performance risk from the building owner Focused ownership of the wireless assets to add value throughout the life of the project Recurring revenue is realized through lease of the system to the carrier(s)
IBS should be part of the specification of the building itself for making provisions as well as subsequent maintenance. A suitable model is to be evolved for incorporating in the national building bye-laws as a sub-section (telecom byelaws) like fire bye-laws, earthquake resistance bye-laws, energy conservation bye-laws etc. In high density population areas the in-building solutions like provision of DAS, Light Radios and femto cell etc. may be considered. The responsibilities of providing IBS can be shared by building owner, solution provider and Telecom Service Provider in accordance with the policy of the Govt. 9.0 A conceptual diagram applicable to Indoor DAS as well as outdoor DAS is
placed as Annexure-B.
Recommendations
Guidelines on setting up of BTS Towers:

i) There should be a single window clearance in states / local bodies to accord approval for BTS tower installations to avoid undue hardship to telecom service providers. ii) The service provider/infrastructure provider should have unrestricted right of way for installation of mobile tower, irrespective of land usage after entering into a legal contract with the owner. iii) iv) Avoid installation of base station antennas in narrow lanes in order to reduce the risk caused by earthquake or wind related disaster. For grant of permission of BTS tower, a reasonable one time processing fee per intimation may be prescribed by the State / local body authority. The processing fee for grant of approval/renewal/sharing of mobile BTS towers levied by the state / local authorities should be restricted to administrative expenses if any incurred for processing. v) Installation of base station antennas within the premises of schools and hospitals may be avoided in future installations because children and patients may likely to be more susceptible to electro-magnetic fields. Indoor building solution of low wattage may be deployed. vi) Base station antennas to be away from nearby buildings and above the ground and roof to ensure compliance to the prevailing radiation limits. vii) Consent from the owner is required. viii) State/ local body to give priority for grant of State Electricity Board connections for cell sites. ix) x) xi) Access to base station antenna site to be prohibited for general public by suitable means such as wire fencing, locking of the door to the roof, etc. The access to tower site for the maintenance personnel be for a minimum period as far as possible. Sign boards and warning signs (Danger RF Radiation, Restricted Area, Dont enter) are to be provided at base station antenna sites which are clearly visible and identifiable. xii) Copy of the siting clearance granted by Dept. of Telecommunication to service providers to be furnished to state/ local bodies at the time of seeking approval for installation.
xiii) Structural Stability Certificate from certified Structural Engineer or from recognized institute like IITs, NITs, CBRI Roorky and CBM, Faridabad or any of the recognized govt. institution. The Service providers to file a fresh structural stability certificate after every 5 years. xiv) No permission for installation of cell site / base station to be granted on buildings which are structurally unsafe. xv) The provision of DG sets used for mobile towers shall be as per the provisions under Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and the Noise pollution (Regulation & Control) Rule 2000 as amended from time to time. xvi) Design parameters / necessary drawings for installation to be furnished. xvii) NOC from the concerned authority in case of CRZ area, heritage building, municipality lease-hold property and cess property xviii) Confirmation about precautions for fire safety and lightening in cell sites. xix) The permission of local authorities should be automatic if all the requirements are met. However, if the local authority decides to have a prior approval system, then it needs to process the application within a period of 30 days from the date of submission, in a single window mechanism. The said application will be deemed to have been approved after the expiry of aforesaid 30 days, to facilitate faster roll out. xx) Intimation for installation of new BTS towers to state/ local bodies to be made either by the Telecom Service Provider (TSP) being a licensee under section 4 of Indian Telegraph Act OR Infrastructure Provider (IP) xxi) No State/ Municipality or any other agency would seal or demolish any cell tower, disconnect cables, power supply etc. or take any such action which may cause disruption of communication service and effect quality of service as well except in compliance of provisions of Indian Telegraph Act 1885.
Structural safety for towers on roof-top:

i) The design, fabrication, material and erection of mobile towers and the buildings should conform to relevant BIS provisions in the relevant areas. (The revised code covers additional earthquake/cyclone resistant features) ii) To undertake exercise of inspection of existing buildings / towers in Seismic Zones III, IV & V by structural engineers in order to ensure that these are compliant to revised BIS codes in the relevant areas and to take appropriate retrofitting measures wherever necessary. iii) To ensure that the new construction in seismically vulnerable zones follow the norms laid down for safe construction in these areas as per relevant BIS standards. iv) To use technology and network architecture that would minimize the number and size/weight of the BTS towers. v) To submit self certification for structural compliance in respect of existing/new towers to respective TERM Cell of DoT within specified time-limit in the prescribed proforma (Annexure-A). vi) Service providers/infrastructure providers to obtain requisite
permission from the concerned local authority before installation of tower and submit a copy of the permission letter to respective TERM cell before made operational. vii) All new towers and buildings shall comply with SAFETY PROVISIONS listed under Annexure A. viii) To accept the certificate furnished by the infrastructure provider. However, the responsibility of compliance shall be with service provider.
ix)
The TERM Cells units at their discretion may test up to 2% of towers and buildings randomly from IITs, NITs, CBRI Roorky and CBM, Faridabad or any of the recognized govt. institution. The sites against which there are public complaints shall also be tested by TERM Cell of DoT. The cost of the testing shall be borne by the service provider.
x)
If a tower/building fails to meet the criteria of relevant BIS provision specified, suitable penalty provision as per Indian Telegraph Act may have to be specified.
xi)
The details of towers and buildings be hosted on DoT website with status i.e. self-certified, TERM Cell certified/ not certified etc.
Location of mobile towers in Master Plan:

i) To identify suitable space / area at multiple locations and earmark in the Master Plan for Cellular Tower Parks in towns and cities in consultation with the Ministry of Urban Development.
In-building solutions:
i) The traditional BTSs are to be augmented with micro, pico and femto cellular solutions for better and ubiquitous mobile coverage ii) The high density urban areas to be well served with multiple low powered BTSs for better spectrum utilization efficiency and increased battery life of the handsets. iii) The high powered towers to be avoided with energy efficiency analysis process by installing Large vs. Small cells i.e. low powered micro cells, pico cells, femto cells. iv) In uncovered, isolated, scattered and at small locations provide the outdoor Distributed Antenna System (DAS )
v)
Avoid use of large number of antennas by individual operators with neutral host antenna system. aesthetics DAS protects the ambiance and
vi)
In all multiplex complexes both residential and commercial make provisions of telecom chambers at ground floor having optical fiber/ copper cable / RF cable connectivity to each and every flat and allow all the service providers to use the same for extending telecom related facilities i.e. broadband, mobile, landlines and other services.
vii) The responsibility of providing IBS and telecom chamber at the ground floor to be shared by building owner, solution provider and telecom service provider in accordance with the policy of the govt. viii) The provision of IBS as well as subsequent maintenance should be a part of the specification of the building contract. ix) To evolve a suitable model for provision of IBS, incorporating in the National Building Bye-laws as sub-section Telecom Bye-laws like Fire-Bye Earthquake Bye-laws and Energy Conservation Bye-laws
U K Srivastava DDG (R), TEC
Gulab Chand Dy. WA, WPC
G P Srivastava DDG(CS)
Ram Narayan DDG (Security&TERM),
P.K. Panigrahi [Sr. DDG (BW)] Member Secretary
A.K. Mittal Sr. DDG (AS)
Satya Pal Advisor (Operation) [Chairman]
Annexure-A (1/4) Towers

1. Towers of standard heights shall generally conform to applicable GR issued by Telecommunications Engineering Centre, DoT, New Delhi. The towers not covered under GR issued by TEC, DoT, New Delhi shall be designed from recognized institutions like IITs, NITs, CBRI-Roorkee, etc. The design, fabrication, material and erection of mobile towers shall conform to relevant BIS provisions in the relevant areas. The roof top tower shall be put on buildings having RCC framed construction. The base connection to building should be designed from a qualified structural Engineer. A structure safety certificate of the composite structure (Building + Towers) shall be obtained from one of the 31ecognized institutes like IITs, NITs, CBRI-Roorkee, etc. or any of the recognized govt. institutes. The verticality for towers of different heights shall conform to the provisions of IS 12843:1989 viz., + H/1500 or + 25 mm (whichever is less) for towers over 30mtrs height. (H refers to the height of tower). Towers located in highly corrosive environment shall be painted every year. Other towers shall be painted at least once in five years to give Day warning as additional protection and civil aviation specifications. Tower shall be inspected for distortion of members, torques of nuts and bolts at least once in three years. However, in case of natural calamity, such as cyclone, earthquake, flood, etc. inspection shall be carried out immediately after such incidents. Lightening arrester, provided at the top of the tower, shall be of adequate height so that all protruding antennas, hoisted on the tower, are protected within its conical safety zone. The earth resistance of the tower earth should be maintained within the prescribed range and should be checked periodically at least every year. Aviation warning lights installed at the top of the tower as well as at the specified corners of the tower as per International Civil Aviation Organisations guideline and should be checked regularly for good operating condition. The manufacturers identity, year of manufacture and the maximum load capacity of tower shall be displayed at the bottom of the tower. Buildings 1. 2. 3. 4. The design of buildings shall conform to the latest applicable BIS Code IS 1893 using importance factor of 1.5 for all types of buildings. The plinth shall be kept above high flood level. The structural analysis, structural drawings, architectural drawings shall be preserved in all structural design units. In case of natural calamity, such as cyclone, earthquake, flood, etc. Inspection shall be carried out immediately after such incidents and appropriate retrofitting measures shall be taken to keep the buildings compliant to BIS. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ ReportofDepartmentalCommittee 31
2. 3.
4.
5.
6.
7. 8. 9.
10.
Annexure-A (2/4) Self Certification format (Earthquake and Cyclone resistant Buildings and Towers for communication network)
Subject:
Self Certification of ground based tower / composite structure (roof top tower + building) for communication network
It is certified that the Ground based tower / composite structure (Rooftop tower + Building), a part of our communication network and located at (complete address) conforms to ..GR issued by TEC, DoT / design approved by . (name and address of the Institute, NIT, CBRI Rurkee etc.). The twoer /
composite structure (rooftop tower + building) falling under seismic zone is compliant to the latest BIS code IS 1893 and other provisions envisaged in the instructions issued by DoT vide no. 800-33/2010-VAS dated .. Dec. 2010. The relevant particulars are as per datasheet enclosed.
Signature (Authorized signatory)
Annexure-A (3/4)
(Information to be submitted by the Service Provider / Infrastructure Provider)
Communication Network Structure Datasheet

1. Tower reference No. 2. Location 3. Name of the Service Provider 4. Name of Infrastructure Provider 5. Height of the Tower (meters) a) Ground based tower b) Rooftop tower i) ii) Tower height Building height : : : : : : : : : : : :
Total composite height 6. Year of installation 7. Design wind speed
8. Load capacity
9. Earth resistant of the tower
10.Lightening Arrestors details
Annexure-A (4/4)
Self Certification Format (Earthquake and cyclone resistant Building for communication network)
Subject:
Self certification of building for communication network.
It is certified that the building owned by located at .....(complete address), a part of communication network falling under seismic zone is compliant to the latest IS 1893 and other provisions envisaged in the instructions issued by DoT vide no. 800-33/2010-VAS dated .. Dec. 2010.
Signature (Authorized Signatory)
ANNEXURE-B Concept of DAS (Distributed Antenna System)

From: Jt. Wireless Advisor

Committe Report On BTS Towers

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Committe Report On BTS Towers

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Confidential

Government of India Ministry of Communications & Information Technology Department of Telecommunications

REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENTAL COMMITTEE ON BTS TOWERS

S.No 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Committee details Terms of reference Proceedings General

Page no. 3 4 5 6-9 10-14 15-18 19-20 21-24 25-30 31-35

i) ii) iii) iv) v) vi)

Chairman Member Member Secretary Member Member Member Member Member

vii) Sh. U.K. Srivastava viii) Sh. Gulab Chand

Terms of Reference of the Committee

Uniform guidelines on setting up of BTS Towers.

Structural safety for towers on roof-tops.

Identification of location for installation of mobile towers in master plan.

has resulted in unregulated telecom BTS cellular infrastructure in country.

Guidelines for setting up of BTS towers

permission is required for erection of a tower. The infrastructure providers intimate

xiii) xiv) xv)

Structural Safety for Towers on roof top

objective in view, the design, installation, maintenance and upkeep of cellular

the following institutes:-

Advisory guidelines / norms pertaining to structural safety of ground-

Location of Mobile Towers in Master Plan

In-Building Solution of Telecom Network

Guidelines on setting up of BTS Towers:

Structural safety for towers on roof-top:

Location of mobile towers in Master Plan:

U K Srivastava DDG (R), TEC

Gulab Chand Dy. WA, WPC

Ram Narayan DDG (Security&TERM),

P.K. Panigrahi [Sr. DDG (BW)] Member Secretary

A.K. Mittal Sr. DDG (AS)

Satya Pal Advisor (Operation) [Chairman]

Annexure-A (1/4) Towers

Signature (Authorized signatory)

(Information to be submitted by the Service Provider / Infrastructure Provider)

Communication Network Structure Datasheet

Total composite height 6. Year of installation 7. Design wind speed

9. Earth resistant of the tower

10.Lightening Arrestors details

Self certification of building for communication network.

Signature (Authorized Signatory)

ANNEXURE-B Concept of DAS (Distributed Antenna System)

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