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Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Bhaskar Hazarika
NEW DELHI: Cellular operators in the border areas of Northeast are awaiting the Home Ministry’s nod to extend the mobile services to the bordering areas of Bangladesh.
The operators aiming to connect the interior areas of the country through the wireless network has not extended the connectivity to the border areas after the objections raised by the Ministry of Home on the national security.
The Union Home Ministry prohibits any radio signals for mobile phone services within 10 km of bordering areas of Bangladesh, except Agartala. In case of Agartala, a special permission has been obtained.
However, the failure to connect the areas by the Indian mobile operators, many people close to the bordering areas is using Bangladeshi mobile services. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) officials admitted that there have been instances when people living in the border areas are accessing Bangladeshi mobile services.
The 'grameen telephone' is the only network to communicate among themselves in those areas.
However, without any guidelines relating to licensing in bordering areas, the security agencies and the ministries are at loggerheads over the issue. After a couple of meeting the government is yet to come up with a consensus on the issue. According to ministry reports there are 103 locations, which have been identified posing threat to national security.
© CyberMedia News
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