Centre eases norms for mobile towers in NE borders

Aizawl, Oct 13 (UNI) Cellular service providers will now be able to cater to the people's demand for mobile services along India's border districts as the authority has simplifed the norms for its provision of mobile services within ten kilometres of the international border.

BSNL officials here today said operators must first obtain a clearance from the department of telecom (DoT) and the Home Ministry for every single base station that is to be installed in border areas.

However, confronted with hundreds of pending demands from operators and dissatisfaction from residents of these border areas the government has decided to replace the existing norms.

As per the clauses, if operators are unable to restrict the signals from the towers to within the international borders, they must deploy radio transmitters on such sites which would work in such a fashion that any signal emitting therefrom, fade out when nearing or about to cross the international border, and also become unusable within a reasonable distance of 550 metres across the border.

BSNL sources added that operators must also inform the date of launch of commercial services from these base stations at least 45 days from the receipt of intimation by the licensor.

North-east India shares a huge international border with Myanmar and Bangladesh.

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