India's march towards a high-speed digital future is hitting some tricky roadblocks! Experts and telecom companies say varied state-level policies are making fiber and small cell network setups slow and expensive. These networks are the backbone for faster broadband and the much-awaited 5G revolution. Though the central government has set Right of Way (RoW) Rules to make things smoother, many states have not fully adopted them, causing confusion and slow approvals. CS Krishnadas, CEO of networking firm Umiya Buildcon, explains that "Inconsistent state-level policies remain a significant barrier to India's digital infrastructure expansion." He adds that differences in RoW rules and multiple department clearances can stretch project timelines by weeks or even months. The delays also lead to cost overruns—from several lakhs to crores of rupees! This, in turn, scares away big investments worth thousands of crores annually. Electricity costs are another puzzle. States charge wildly different tariffs for power used in telecom setups — anywhere between ₹3 to ₹18 per unit commercially, and ₹2 to ₹8 when tagged as telecom infrastructure. Krishnadas reveals, "This creates substantial cost differentials that impact daily running costs, payback periods and investment returns." Not just him, Ram Sellaratnam, CEO of IBus Networks, points out the mess with "right-of-way" rules and says power rules and labor laws varying state to state further complicate things. "The biggest hurdle is right-of-way... Power sector regulations and labor laws also differ across states, complicating operations," he said. Despite the Department of Telecommunications announcing new RoW rules last year and urging states to comply, not everyone is on board. The goal was to create a clear, fast process that cuts red tape and lets central and state governments work better together. TeamLease RegTech CEO Rishi Agrawal adds, "Inconsistent RoW permissions, arbitrary changes and delays in approvals by local bodies continue to stall fiber and tower rollouts." He points out the absence of a one-stop clearance system forces telecom players to handle multiple departments, causing endless paperwork and long waits. On the bright side, the Indian government’s draft National Telecom Policy 2025 aims big for 2030—100% 4G and 90% 5G coverage, broadband for 100 million homes, fiber connections to every gram panchayat, and boosting tower fiberisation from about 46% to 80%. But to hit these shiny goals, clearing the state-level policy mess is a must. Otherwise, India’s digital dreams might have to wait a little longer for their dazzling moment!