Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited has awarded telecom infrastructure rights to leading telecom operators to restore mobile network connectivity across
Mumbai Metro Line-3 (Aqua Line), the city’s first fully underground metro corridor.
The Letter of Acceptance has been jointly awarded to Bharti Airtel Limited, Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited and Vodafone Idea Limited for the deployment, operation and maintenance of In-Building Solutions (IBS) infrastructure across the entire Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ Metro-3 corridor.
Under the 25-year agreement, commuters will get uninterrupted voice and data connectivity across underground stations and tunnels. The agreement also includes provisions to enable BSNL network access within six months.
MMRC said telecom service providers are expected to begin propagation of signals across the corridor soon, a move aimed at improving commuter convenience and digital connectivity on the Aqua Line.
Background
Earlier on March 22, commuters on Mumbai’s underground Metro Line-3, or the Aqua Line, lost mobile network connectivity after Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited terminated its agreement with ACES India, the company responsible for setting up and managing shared telecom infrastructure along the Aarey–Cuffe Parade corridor.
The decision followed a prolonged dispute between the contractor and telecom operators over pricing.
Following the termination, mobile connectivity services on the corridor were completely disrupted, including limited access previously available to Vodafone Idea and BSNL users in certain sections.
Officials had said the contractor failed to meet its obligations under the revenue-sharing arrangement, under which MMRCL was expected to earn nearly ₹24 crore annually.
The pricing dispute had also delayed the rollout of full mobile coverage, with telecom operators exploring the option of building their own infrastructure.
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