BSNL starts shifting towers from areas close to LoC in J

Srinagar, July 2 (UNI) The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), the country's largest telecom service provider, has started the process of shifting its towers and other equipment from areas close to the Line of Control (LoC) and international border in Jammu and Kashmir.

Sources said the decision followed a central government order, amending a security-related clause (44.8) in the Cellular Mobile Telephone Service (CMTS) License Agreement of 2001.

They said the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology had amended the clause in February this year.

The conditions laid down in clause 44.8 of the 2001 agreement specified that the licensee (BSNL and others) should create a buffer zone of 10 km width along the Indian international border, if any, where no service would be permitted.

Width of the buffer zone along the borders within the Indian territory should be as decided by the Government of India from time to time, it said.

''As and when there is any change in the structure of defined buffer zone created by the licensee, for whatsoever reason, it should be reported to the Licensor immediately,'' the clause said.

It further said the government and its authorised representative may carry out physical verification of the accuracy of the buffer zone so created.

As per the amended conditions -- clause 44.8 (i) -- there should be a ''no service zone'' of 500 mt width along the international border within the Indian territory for wireless and mobile services, where the licensees are not permitted to provide wireless and mobile services.

The licensee should use requisite technology to ensure that the signals become ''unusable'' within 500 mt of international boundaries and there is no wireless and mobile services in the ''no service zone'', the latest order said.

The amended clause 44.8 (ii) said the licensee need to create a ''buffer zone'' of 10 km width along the LoC, the Line of Actual Control (LAC), Akhnoor and others areas of Jammu and Kashmir lying close to Pathankot in Punjab as applicable, wherein they should not deploy their cell sites and BTS Radio Transmitters.

The amended clause 44.8 (iii) further said periodic surprise checks may be carried out by the licensor or its authorised representatives, including security agencies, in order to ensure compliance of the laid out conditions by the licensee.

In case any violation in respect of usable mobile signals in the ''no service zone'' or deployment of cell sites and BTS or Radio Transmitters in the ''buffer zone'' were detected, stern action would be taken according to the terms and conditions of the license agreement including imposition of financial penalty, the order said.

In compliance with the order, the sources said BSNL has started shifting and relocating its towers and WLL equipment from the areas close to the LoC and international border.

A WLL signal could go up to 25 km radial distance from BTS and keeping in view the proximity of the LoC and the international border, the signal strength would be limited to 500 mt.

They said the BSNL authorities have almost completed the process of shifting their cell sites from various areas in Kargil, Leh and other border districts of the state.

In Leh and Kargil, eight cell sites have been selected for shifting from areas lying close to the LoC.

These cites at Khaltse, Channigund, Nimmo, Saspol, Tumilcolony, Sankoo, Nyoma and Padam would be relocated to Nimmo (Basgo), Saspol, Thiksay, Sankar, Tumilcolony, Sankoo, Nyoma and Padam respectively.

UNI