TRAI suggests measures to improve telecom coverage in remote villages of Ladakh

New Delhi: As a part of the government’s initiatives to augment mobile connectivity, the telecom regulator TRAI has on Tuesday suggested ways to improve telecom coverage and backhaul infrastructure in far-flung areas of Ladakh, with recommendations ranging from resource pooling across telecom service providing companies on spare backhaul transmission capacity to maintaining a waiting list of service demand by licensed operators.

In a statement, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) said that 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,” the telecom regulator said.

Further, TRAI noted that media reports too have highlighted the challenges faced by the people living near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in accessing high-speed internet, which is critical for pursuing online education and accessing digital banking.

“Based on the gap analysis and evaluation of the government sponsored USOF schemes, TRAI has come up with recommendations on improving telecom coverage and backhaul infrastructure in far-flung areas of Ladakh,” the regulator said.

In its recommendations, TRAI observed that three villages in Ladakh 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 3 uncovered villages of Ladakh, under ‘Saturation of 4G mobile services’ project,” the regulator said.