BSNL to withdraw 22,000 WLL connections along Nepal border

BD Kasniyal

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Pithoragarh, March 13

BSNL will withdraw over 22,000 wireless local loop (WLL) mobile connections available in villages along the Nepal border from next month, rendering the area without communication facility. People residing in these villages have demanded an alternate communication network as soon as possible by installing more telecommunication towers.

“Villages along the Nepal and China borders will have to depend on the Nepalese communication network if an alternate network is not made available,” said Sher Singh Mahar, a social worker in the Talladesh region of Champawat district.

BSNL sources said the WLL service was being discontinued as it had failed to generate the required revenue and had become uneconomical.

“Due to the orders from the higher authorities, we are scrapping the WLL mobile service prevalent in some parts of the state. But we are giving an alternative to the people,” said Suryakant, Chief General Manager of BSNL, Uttarakhand region.

He said over 60 villages, 20 police and SSB border posts at the Nepal border in Pithoragarh and Champawat districts would be without communication from April 1 and no other communication alternative would be available. 

They said the service was being scrapped as telecom towers of BSNL had a limited capacity and private companies were not allowed to install their towers in these border areas. 

“Some of the villages will be without communication facility as they are dependent only on WLL till date,” said Laxman Chand, a resident of Kanri village at the Nepal border in Pithoragarh district.

The villagers residing in the border region, especially along the Nepal and China borders, will face the maximum difficulties in getting proper communication facilities. 

“The government should ban Nepalese telecommunication companies. If it fails to do so, people would get lured to use their networks. Residents of upper valleys of the Dharchula border region are already availing such facilities,” said Kailash Bhatt, a resident of Seem village at the Jhoolaghat border with Nepal in Pithoragarh district.