Cabinet nods telecom policy

SHILLONG, DEC 10: The state Cabinet chaired by chief minister Conrad K Sangma today approved the draft Meghalaya Telecom Infrastructure Policy 2018 to address the various problems relating to mobile network connectivity in the state.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting held here on Monday, deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong also announced that the policy will be effective from January 15, next year.

Asked, Tynsong said that once this important policy is in place, the present problem of network connectivity will improve effectively in the state.

Stating that Meghalaya was supposed to get more than 2,000 mobile towers to be set up by the BSNL and other private service providers in the near future, he however said but the problem is that once a tower is closed down, the other operators cannot utilize it.

While citing the shutting down of the Aircel Company as an example, he said its towers are just lying idle and in view of this the private service providers will have to sit among themselves in order that they can utilize such (non-functional) towers.

Further, the deputy chief minister informed that the policy will also pave the way for the government to grant permission to mobile companies for setting up of towers in government offices and buildings.

According to him, this was in view of the common problem faced by most mobile service providers due to failure of the people in Shillong to allow them to install mobile towers on their respective private lands.

Tynsong said many companies in the past have approached the government on this regard but in the absent of a policy, it cannot just simply grant such permission to install the mobile towers (on government properties).

By Our Reporter

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