Coronavirus: Telecom department asks states to ensure telecom network maintenance

NEW DELHI: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) Tuesday asked the chief secretaries and advisers to the administrators of union territories (UT) to designate nodal officers to ensure the maintenance of telecom infrastructure amid curfew and lockdown in states following the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.

In a letter dated March 24, telecom secretary Anshu Prakash said, "telecom infrastructure is critical for maintaining communication, use of broadband and internet services, encouraging e-commerce and facilitating work from home during the restrictions period."

The development has come on the back of multiple complaints particularly in the states of Punjab and Maharashtra where local law enforcement authorities were not allowing field workforce of telecom service operators and infrastructure providers to visit sites requiring maintenance.


The two states are under curfew since last week in order to prevent the epidemic outbreak. Punjab and Maharashtra have 20,855 and 62,795 telecom towers respectively, according to the Delhi-based infrastructure group.

Prakash sought intervention from state officials to allow operational continuity of telecom services which are considered to be essential in nature and critical to enabling work from home (WFH) as multinationals primarily IT/ITes advised their staff to stay indoors.

Nearly 30 states and union territories have currently put restrictions on public movement due to lockdown and even imposed curfew in some cities to enforce strict adherence to shutdown.

"It will be necessary that instructions reach the field level to permit personnel maintaining and providing telecom services to continue their work without interruption," the top official said.

Several instances, according to the top official, were being reported where the local authorities have asked the personnel of the telecom service providers at network operation centers and call centers to shut down operations in view of the restrictions.

"Efforts are being made by the Centre and state government as well as telcos and infrastructure providers for the smooth functioning of telecom services and operations in respective states," TR Dua, Director-General, Tower & Infrastructure Providers Association (Taipa) said.