Deputy Commissioner Leh, Santosh Sukhadeve reviewed the status of Mobile Telecommunication and V-SATs in the district with a special focus on border areas at DC mini Conference Hall on August 28.

In the meeting, representatives from BSNL, Airtel, and Reliance JIO apprised the DC about the status of telecom services in the villages including the status of VSATs at Gram Panchayats, utilization data of VSAT sites, total number of sites covered and towers erected on state-allotted lands; functional and nonfunctional towers, 4G and 5G network saturation, as well as challenges faced by them,  amongst others.

DC Leh inquired about the reasons behind the non-functioning of V-SATs in certain panchayats and directed the officials to ensure that the minor damages/issues are to be fixed on a priority basis. He reiterated that all the agencies must work in a coordinated manner so that the tower would be functional and people would not face any challenges. 

He highlighted that saturation in areas under the Vibrant Village Program is significant and directed the officials to cover these villages in a time-bound manner as well as to ensure that the telecom services are reliable, efficient, and accessible to all.

Additionally, he directed them to present a detailed written report of the work done on state-owned lands, existing infrastructure, and other plans. 

The meeting was also attended by ADDC Leh; ACR Leh; and officers/officials from BSNL, JIO, and Airtel.