Mobile, Net connectivity disrupted in Sikkim

Gangtok, Feb 18 (PTI) Mobile phone and Internetservice in Sikkim were badly affected in Sikkim for the pasttwo days due to snapping of optical fibre cables near Siliguriin West Bengal.

Subscribers of state owned BSNL and private telecomservice providers have been suffering with dropped lines andpoor connectivity, while the Internet service is slow or nonexistent.

Private operators said the fault was due to snappingof optical fibre cables by some mischief mongers and work wason to repair the damage.

Confirming this, BSNL AGM (Customer Fixed Access)Tshering Dukpa said it was a recurring problem with the lines,which run from Gangtok to Siliguri via Lava in Kalimpongsubdivision of Darjeeling district.

However, the snapped BSNL lines were being restoredand there has already been marginal improvement in theservices, Dukpa said.

As optical fibres are of no value after being cut,BSNL sources suggested that snapping of these lines is not forprofit but for mischief.

"Locally, the BSNL has also been facing problems dueto the theft of its jelly filled cables by miscreants whoextract copper from them," Dukpa said.