Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 25:The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released recommendations on improving telecom coverage and backhaul infrastructure in far-flung areas of Ladakh.
This comes amid reports that people living near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) are facing problems in accessing high-speed internet, which is critical for pursuing online education and accessing digital banking.
Furthermore, many remote areas in Ladakh lack mobile towers, resulting in network issues, particularly for those residing near the LAC and the Line of Control (LoC). As these areas are of strategic importance, mobile connectivity is crucial for ensuring the safety of the region by facilitating round-the-clock communication to the security forces deployed in these regions, an official statement said.
As per the statement, there are three villages in Ladakh which neither have any coverage nor were included in the ongoing schemes.
“During discussions with the Authority, BSNL has indicated that these villages will be included under ‘Saturation of 4G mobile services’ project. However, USOF must ensure inclusion of the three uncovered villages of Ladakh, under this project,” the statement said.
It added that there are 19 villages in Ladakh which neither have 4G coverage nor are they included in the ongoing schemes for providing 4G coverage.
“The CAPEX and OPEX expenditure to be incurred for upgrading the existing non-4G based cellular mobile infrastructure at these 19 villages should be funded by Government through USOF. In 12 out of these 19 villages, the Authority recommends that the VSAT connectivity provided under BharatNet can also double as backhaul for 4G connectivity. In the remaining seven uncovered villages, VSAT connectivity on shared basis should be considered till connectivity on OFC media is extended to these villages,” the statement read.
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