Government Increases 5G Tower Power Limits to Global Standards to Boost Mobile Network Coverage

The central government has decided to increase the electromagnetic field limits for mobile networks to match global standards, bringing major relief to the telecom sector. Under the revised rules coming into force next month, the permitted power density for 5G base tower stations will be doubled from the current 5 watts per square metre to 10 watts per square metre.

This increase in power density will allow 5G radio signals to travel much longer distances from each mobile tower. As a result, telecom companies will be able to cover much larger geographic areas using fewer tower installations, helping them significantly reduce network setup and maintenance costs while handling the heavy growth in daily 5G data traffic.

The revised 10 watt limit aligns India with safety benchmarks followed by over 135 countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and nations across the European Union. These international standards are established by the International Commission for Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection, which advises global health authorities on safe radio frequency emissions.

The policy change is expected to provide a big boost to telecom operators across India. While companies like Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel will achieve better efficiency and lower future capital costs on their active networks, operators like Vodafone Idea will be able to design their ongoing 5G rollout with lower expenditure and wider coverage from day one.