Call drop: HC issues notices to mobile tower companies

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, Oct 7: Hearing a PIL against mobile tower companies, a division bench of the Gauhati High Court comprising of Chief Justice (acting) K Sreedhar Rao, issued notices to the infrastructure providers - American Tower Company, Bharati Infratel Limited, GTL-CNIL & VIOM Network Limited, from whom service provider Idea Cellular takes the towers on rent.

The division bench also directed the Department of Telecommunication (DoT) to furnish information to the court, by way of an affidavit, as to the mechanism and manpower they have to effectively supervise the efficiency and eco-friendliness of the mobile towers installed by the service and infrastructure providers all over Assam. The affidavit must also specify whether any periodical check-up of the mobile towers are done to ensure efficiency and eco-friendliness, the potential and capacity of each tower and the reason for frequent call drops and slow internet connectivity in the Northeastern states.

Appearing for the petitioner, senior advocate and civil rights activist, Bhaskar Dev Konwar disclosed that BSNL authorities have also been directed to file an affidavit by the division bench of the Court indicating the reasons and limitations for its purposeful and expansive growth to make it a profitable venture of the government.

It may be mentioned that, advocates SC Keyal appeared on behalf of the Central government & DoT, S Borah for GMC and M Hazarika for GMDA. The next hearing will take place on October 12.

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