New Delhi: In a bid to make communication accessible for security personnel deputed in far-flung areas of the country, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has asked Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL) and Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL) to operationalising Digital Satellite Phone Terminals (DSPT) sites.
The DSPTs were sanctioned by the MHA to central armed police force (CAPF) personnel for communication with their families from far-flung and inaccessible areas of the country.
The DSPT sites are provided subsidy from universal service obligation fund (USOF) under the department of telecommunications.
However, DSPT services completely stopped functioning in May 2019 die to the satellite shutdown. As a stop-gap arrangement, I-Sat phones were provided to CAPFs, but the number of I-Sat phones is lesser than the number of DSPTs.
Subsequently, the MHA roped in the department of telecommunications, border roads organisation, ministry of defence, army headquarters, and BBNL for a permanent solution to the problem.
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Accordingly, the BBNL has been authorised to take up the work by diverting V-Sat terminals from the ongoing Bharat Net Stellite GP coverage scheme.
"DoT is closely monitoring the re-provisioning of DSPTs on regular basis. However, due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation, the implementing agency is facing difficulties in transportation of material and movement of the installation team," an official in the Home Ministry said.
It may be mentioned here that a Parliamentary committee on home affairs had earlier noted that the problem of poor mobile connectivity persists in areas of deployment of CAPFs personnel, especially border guarding forces at border outposts.
The committee had recommended that the Home Ministry make efforts to strengthen mobile and internet connectivity -- if not by the state-owned service provider, then by the presence of private mobile service providers in difficult areas.
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"The proposal for providing optical fibre cable (OFC) connectivity to all border outposts by connecting all villages through national optical fibre network must be considered on priority," the committee had said.
A proper communications network has always been demanded by the security personnel deputed in border and remote areas so that they can be in touch with their families.
