In order to set up a mobile tower or base station, a cellular operator needs to take the permission of various agencies. The whole process roughly takes one to three months. It involves:

• Site identification by the operator and negotiations with the community.

• Approval of the Standing Advisory Committee on Frequency Allocations, the government agency under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) which gives the go-ahead for airwave frequency and spectrum.

• Certification of building's stability in terms of its structure and strength by recognised engineers.

• Final approval from the concerned municipal corporation.